A Better Place : Part 3 - Hold Forever
by ytodd
Summary: A follow up to A Better Place Part 2. Lycus has been taken down. Amidst the dust, the mammals of Zootopia are trying to find their footing in their newfound peaceful life. But deep wounds can leave scars. And scars rarely disappear. The story is now complete.
1. The Calm After the Storm

_Welcome to the first chapter of A Better, Place Part 3 -_

 _This Part will be more heavy on fluff than the previous one, but remember : I still am a twisted fucker._

 _ **EDIT :** This chapter has been edited and updated with the precious help of **Lord of Hentai**._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 1 :** The Calm After the Storm_

 _Saturday the 13th of April 2019_

He blinked a few times before finding his consciousness. The light was bright, way too bright and it sent spikes of pain in his brain. The light stopped shining but the pain didn't get away. The fox heard a strange voice talking.

"He's waking up ! Get the doctor !"

The light started to spin and the fox fell back into torpor.

The fox blinked again and looked around him. He was lying down in what seemed to be a hospital bed. Around him were a few faces that he didn't recognize. There was a raccoon wearing a blouse, which seemed to be around fifty, a female fox that looked slightly around the same age, maybe a bit older, a little fox, that had to be her son, or maybe grandson. And to his right, the most magnificent creature he ever had the chance to lay his eyes upon. It was a grey bunny who was standing up thanks to a pair of crutches.

Something was wrong.

She was a bunny. He found her cute, pretty even, but how could he a fox find a bunny beautiful ? It defied all logic.

His eyes lingered back to the crutches. The fox wanted to ask her to sit, fearing that she could impair the healing of her leg.

"Hello sir, can you hear me ?"

"Yeah." The sound of his own voice sent spikes of pain into his brain. He felt like it was echoing in his bones.

"Can you follow the pen please ?" The doctor moved the pen up and down, right and left. The fox followed it easily. "Good, do you know what day it is ?" The fox concentrated. What day was it ? He knew that, it was easy.

"The 18th of January ? A Tuesday I think ?"

He saw the doctor lift a brow. "What year ?"

The fox blinked a few times. "No idea."

"It's not the 18th of January. It's Saturday the 13th of April 2019, don't worry, memory loss often happens after cranial trauma. My name is doctor Procyon, we met before."

"Cranial... What happened to me ?"

"You were shot in the head. Luckily it was shot at an angle that caused it to bounce off. So while it cracked the skull, we could find no direct sign of brain damage. But with this kind of wound, you can never be sure."

The fox made an effort to lift his paw and touched the place where the pain was the most present. It was bandaged and he didn't dare explore further. "How long was I out?"

"Six days. You should remember how you lost consciousness, or at least the event leading to it. We'll keep you in observation for a few days, in the meantime, please rest mister Wilde."

The fox lifted a brow. "Who ?"

"Mister Wilde. That's your name. You don't remember that ?"

"I don't remember... I don't remember anything. I don't remember my name. I mean... I'm sorry, I don't even know who those mammals are." He said, gesturing at the other people present.

He heard the bunny and female fox gasp, the little fox sighed.

"I'm Vivienne, I'm your mother."

"Are you sure ?" Asked bedridden fox. She answered with an expression of annoyed disbelief.

"You've dyed your fur grey, but I believe I could recognize my own fucking kit."

The fox lifted his paw "Alright, alright."

"I'm Finnick."

The little fox's deep voice surprised the grey fox but he didn't let it show.

"He's been your best friend for last twenty years." Explained the female fox who claimed to be his mother. "And we're dating. I don't want that to be a surprise."

The grey fox smiled. "Uhm, well I'm happy for you I guess. I mean you're happy together right ?"

The fennec fox smiled. "Very."

"Good. That's good. And you are ?" He asked the bunny. He didn't dare look at her in the eyes, and for two reasons. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep himself from blushing, bunnies shouldn't have the right to be that gorgeous. And the other reason was because she seemed so sad. He wasn't sure if he could keep himself together if he found himself meeting her gaze again.

He heard her take a deep breath.

...

When the fox had woken up, she wanted nothing more than to hug him, but the doctor had to examine him first. Nick seemed to be okay, though he didn't remember the right date, but as the doctor had explained, temporary memory loss were common with concussions.

What she hadn't expected however was that he wouldn't remember his own name, that he wouldn't remember his family, or that he wouldn't remember her.  
He had forgotten her. She was a stranger to him. For some reason he was avoiding her gaze. She could still see the perfect loving fox she knew, but the simple fact that he had forgotten her, that he may have forgotten his feelings for her, was unbearable. She had to fight with all her strength to not crumble.  
And suddenly, he had asked her who she was.

She took a deep breath and choked down the tears that threatened to spill.

"I'm Judy. I'm your- I'm." She slowly exhaled and felt Vivienne's encouraging paw on her shoulder. "I'm your mate." She saw Nick's jaw fall in surprise. In other circumstances, it would have been funny, but she felt her tears rising again.

"I'm sorry miss... Judy, was it ? I don't remember." He wanted to say that he didn't see how a fox and a bunny could be mates, but kept it to himself. He didn't want to seem rude, and something inside him hated the idea of hurting her.

Judy glanced at the bedridden fox and at the other in the room. "I'm sorry. I have to- I just-" She wanted to run away. At first, she had feared he wouldn't wake up, even though the doctor was very optimistic. But now that he had, he couldn't remember her. It was almost worse. She made a few steps and left the room, outside she rested her back on the wall, letting her tears flow out. It was too much.

The sound of a step on her right made her turn her head. It was Blackfur and Wolford. The wolf was in a civilian clothes. He was off-duty for the week because of the fire he had sustained but otherwise seemed perfectly fine. His cracked ribs were healing slowly. Seeing Judy cry, his smile fell.

"Judy, is everything alright ?"

The bunny didn't know what to answer. Physically her fox was fine but- But she was being stupid. The doctor had warned her before he woke up that he could suffer memory loss. She swallowed back the tears before answering.

"Yeah. A bit overwhelmed that's all." She answered just as doctor Procyon appeared from Nick's room. He glanced at the two newcomers and greeted them with a little nod before turning back to the bunny.

"You were really reckless. I looked at your X-rays and everything seems still fine, but I can't guarantee it really is. The only way to know for sure is to wait for the healing to be complete. I had warned you to not overdo it."

"I'm sorry doctor."

"Don't apologize. I trust there was a good reason why you used that leg. I need to go now. Nick needs calm, but I also think your presence will be beneficial. And knowing you he can only get one of the two." The doctor gave her an encouraging smile and a pat on the shoulder before leaving to meet other patients.

As the two newcomers entered his room, the fox was slightly startled. One of them was wearing a ZPD uniform and something in his mind said that it could mean trouble for him. But the panda wearing it was calm and kind, she didn't appear to be here to arrest him. The wolf in civilian clothes was nice too, and also a police officer. According to them, the fox was one too. Nick couldn't help but laugh at that, a fox officer, it didn't make any sense, but they were serious. The bunny was his partner on the force too, and he gave her a surprised glance.

First he had learnt she was his mate, and then that they were both police officers. He didn't know what kind of world he lived in but one thing was for sure, it didn't make any sense.

* * *

 _Tuesday the 9th of April 2019_

This was a bad day for the chief. And he was sure of one thing, it would almost certainly turn into a bad week. It was now one day since Lycus group had been arrested and they had found Bellwether's corpse along with a bunch of others in an old amusement park on the outskirt of the city. One of the corpses was officer FitzAntler's and until earlier that morning, he had no idea what the hell she was doing there.

The other mammals they had found there, were Doug Ramses and the fox named Alexander Vulpes. The sheep was cooperative, but he unfortunately knew nothing, the kidnapping was a total surprise for him. The fox seemed to know more, and could have provided some intel, if most of what he said hadn't been gibberish. They had found him in a cell, but he was convinced to be the one running the operations. Medical analyses had determined the poor guy was under a large variety of drugs and a dig in the files given by the two mammals Judy had met revealed a medical record indicating heavy psychological troubles. So that witness was most likely useless too.

The other fox that could shed light on this business had been in a coma for two days and the ZIA had cut off communications, and had gone back to their old habits. The chief had talked to the mayor about the necessity of a more cooperative relationship between the two organizations. Maybe even a possible restructuring. But he had little hope it would bring any change. And so, he was condemned to make sense of all this on his own. Well, with the help of his officers, but still, it was a big twisted bundle of knots.

Earlier that morning he had received an unmarked package, and given the state of the precinct, he hadn't found the time to take care of it before noon. Slumping on his seat with a sigh, he opened it. Inside it, was an usb stick and a pink notebook. He had put the stick on the side and opened the notebook. What he read almost made him spit his coffee. He knew the lamb liked to hear herself talk, but he didn't know she liked to write her life down. This was a goldmine. Good thing he had put gloves on to touch it because if her hooves prints were found on it, this was the proof to end all proofs.

He had read it quickly, leaving aside the parts where she detailed how the predators were disgusting creatures that weren't even worth the lead in the bullets she wanted to use to shoot them all. The journal detailed every part of her plan. She had left notes for her accomplice in the Nighthowler case on how to pull her out of prison. It seemed she had anticipated roughly where and when she would be put behind bars. At least she was lucid enough to see that her first plan could fall apart. There was details on the amount of money she had paid upfront to different crime bosses, and mainly Vladimir Zimovitch, to pull off her escape. She had been lucky that the wolf didn't give a shit about her goals and that he didn't leave her rot in her cell. He had even lent her three of his best mammals, a lion, a panther and a wolf.

At that, the buffalo had gritted his teeth, he knew the guys had no principles, but helping someone like Bellwether was a new low.

The notebook also mentioned a hacker and an ocelot mechanic, but like all predators that worked for her, she didn't trust them.

He also found one of the few things he suspected. Her plan was to use mainly predators and have them conduct terrorist actions in the name of predators to instill hate toward them. Later in her notebook, was the mention of how they found Alexander. As one of the three mammals that Vlad had lent were conducting the recruitment, they had stumbled upon him in a squat. They had found fun how much he looked like Nicholas Wilde and that was why they had brought him to the lamb. The chief looked at the date. 3rd of february 2019. It seemed the idea of using him came after the first attack, but she was already set on focusing her effort on the fox population. It also explained why no video was released for the first attacks.

The rest of the notebook was pretty straightforward. Details of her plans, evil gloating on how the authorities were so stupid, details of the other future plans to seize back power, more evil gloating about how she would make mayor Swinton pay for her leniency toward predators.

Her plan was crazy, convoluted, and the worst part was that without Nick, chances were, it would have succeeded.

The chief put the notebook in a sealed plastic bag and put it on the side. He then plugged the USB stick to his computer. The standard procedure should have been to send it to the forensic to have it analyzed, a peripheral coming from an unknown source could be dangerous. But the chief knew by now that it came from the ZIA, and bet that they wouldn't put a virus on an USB stick to fuck with his computer for shit and giggles.

The thing contained two audio files, one short and one long. The buffalo put on his headphones and listened to the longer one first. It was the entirety of Nick's wire feed on the day of Bellwether's death. There was enough proof to send the foxes that were with him during Doug's kidnapping in jail for a long time. At one point, the audio was abruptly cut, it was just after they had reached the place where Doug was to be taken by another team. He rewinded the feed and listened again. He was sure of it, there was a cut there, but he couldn't define if it was because Nick had closed the microphone or because the ZIA had cut the record. In any case, what followed was Nick in a van with a younger fox going to find out who or what was Lycus. The chief guessed the younger fox was the one they had found dead at the amusement park.

When he heard the gunfight with FitzAntlers, all blood left his face. Reading about his officer's betrayal was one thing, but witnessing it and hearing what she had cause was another. And then, there was the long discussion between Nick who played dumb and the lamb revealing all her plan. It explained how Lycus' group had discovered the witness protection car itinerary. He hadn't shared his concern for this earlier, it could have warned the mole that he was onto them. Well, now the mole was dead, good riddance. A new firefight ensued. In the end he put together the three way standoff. The hate he heard coming from Nick surprised him, but it was understandable. After the final gunfight, the audio continued rolling for a bit.

"You dumb fox. Why did you have to do that ?" A few light step noises. "Just as scratch. Gotta search this place and call for the paramedic. Let me just-" The was a strange scratching sound and the audio feed ended.

The puzzle fell back in place. The lamb hadn't been killed in the same firefight her henchmen had fallen. Nick had shot her in cold blood. Well maybe not cold, since she was armed, but he would have shot her anyway. It only shed a new light on the report from ballistic.

The chief launched the second audio record. It was only the discussion between Nick and the lamb, but cut short just after the first firefight.  
The chief sighed. This was problematic. Though the lamb was armed, Nick hadn't shot her to defend himself. Then again, the buffalo preferred to know Bellwether would not be a threat anymore that being at the paws of the ZIA. Maybe it was even a better fate for her to be dead. Sure she still could have agents around, but without the head, the snake couldn't do much harm. The good news was that after the proof would be released to the public, every predator that supported Lycus were sure to do their best to be forgotten. No one wanted to be the fall guy.

But releasing the evidence would put Nick in a tight spot. The chief couldn't really say he had done the right thing, shooting a mammal, albeit one that didn't really deserve any pity. And he couldn't be sure he wouldn't be blamed for his decision by the public. The shorter feed made no mention of Nick being Frank. It was just one nosy fox being there by coincidence, and being lucky enough to gun down five armed mammals on his own. And both records mentioned FitzAntlers' betrayal.  
Technically, Nick was still under the protection of the 'licence to kill' when he had shot the lamb.

The chief gave a dark chuckle and made a decision he never thought he would ever do.

He clicked on the longer audio recording and pushed the 'delete' key.

Only the short version would see the light of day.

Sometimes, the right thing to do was wrong on all sorts of levels.

But he didn't care.

* * *

 _Thursday the 11th of April 2019_

What the chief did care about however was the well-being of his officers and the city's state. There had been wounded mammals during the multiple arrests, but no casualties among the ZPD. A few officers had needed a trip to the hospital, including Wolford, but it was a light wound. Only cracked ribs, and though still in sick leave, he was already out. There were two mammals that worried him though.

The first was Nicholas Wilde. He was still unconscious after having been shot in the head. Said like that, it sounded ominous, but the bullet had bounced off the side of the skull, only resulting in a concussion and a small crack. He had been unconscious for five days now, but the doctors were confident that he would wake back up.  
The other one he was worried about was Benjamin Clawhauser. The feline had done his job perfectly, shooting the van he was supposed to immobilize, but during the shootout, he had had to take down one of the attacker which was about to open fire on his colleagues. It had resulted in a deadly headshot.

Sadly, the pudgy cat wasn't build for the field, the chief had been worried when he had accepted to deploy him as a sniper, and his fears had played out. He had ordered the feline to stay home until he got better, putting him on sick leave for as long as he needed.

Usually, the chief wouldn't be worried, Clawhauser had a tendency to quickly bounce back from his bouts of morosity. But this was way more serious than a missed concert or a bad break up. He had actually shot dead another mammal. And though it was his duty to protect his colleagues and stop criminals, the chief knew enough about the cat that he would spend at least a few days down the gutter.

 _A few days, right._ The chief gave another dark chuckle. The cat was a deeply kind mammal and practically a pacifist. Would he be able to come back from that ? At least, since Wolford spent most of his time at home, there was someone there with the cat to keep him company, and report on his condition in case it got worse.  
But still, he could help being worried. Looking down as his hoof, he saw it was trembling slightly. He frowned and closed his fist, pushing back those dark feelings.

Those were personal matters more than professionals, and the chief had other things to think about. For instance, he had already made public the cut audio footage and most mammals in the city were already wondering how a fox could have stumbled upon Bellwether's schemes and dispatched the attackers. Some speculated that he hadn't been alone and words had begun to spread about how things had played out.

The official version was that a fox of unknown identity had been suspicious of the activity of his employer, namely Lycus, and intending to find out what exactly was going on, had uncovered that the foxes were used by Bellwether that had been falsely kidnapped. The authorities had revealed that Alexander Vulpes was in fact the drugged victim of things he couldn't even understand, and the foxes that had been captured and questioned were, for most of them, going to spend time in jail.  
The chief thought that it would result in a bit of unrest, but for once, the citizen of the city had impressed him. In an overall positive reaction, group support were created for the victims, and even some rallying for leniency toward some of the manipulated criminals.

Mayor Swinton didn't hesitate to use it, unveiling ahead of schedule her plans to put in place a better rehabilitation programs for ex-convicts, and several education reforms give a better access to education to the poorest citizens of the city.

He couldn't decide if it was only a political move or a genuine one. Good politicians could conciliate both and the swine had proven to be a formidable one.

In any case, the future was looking brighter than he could have imagined only a week prior. He only hoped that his officers would recover soon, and not only for the good of the city.


	2. Pink Robes, Black Thoughts

**_Posting Schedule : Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays._**

 _Gotta go fast._

 _ **Foxlover91 :** Wouldn't it be better if the memory loss stuck ? If I went through half the shit Nick went through, I'd be pretty happy to leave it behind.  
I'm not an advocate of killing mammals, but the Wolrd is clearly a better place without that lamb._

 _ **Cemsay :** Don't worry, more is coming. MOAR !_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 2 :** Pink Robes, Black Thoughts._

 _Monday the 16th of April 2019_

The situation had slowly turned from bad to worse. Wolford had hoped Ben's state would evolve in a week, and it had, but it had come from 'slightly down' to 'at the bottom of the pit'. At first, he had thought that it would be better for the pudgy cat to stay at home but now, maybe he should have gone back to work and let the daily routine sweep away the feline's dark thought.

The wolf made a quick recollection of the event that had led to this situation.

He had seen the panther get shot and killed, and soon after, another police patrol had arrived as backup. Then the paramedic had picked him up. He had spent most of the day at the hospital, and though he didn't feel too bad, aside from the lingering pain in his ribs, Blackfur had stayed with him, even though he could have managed on his own. When she had left in the evening, Clawhauser had come to check on him. He already looked down but was still putting on a brave front. They had talked a bit and then he had left to visit Judy and Nick.

The next day, the wolf had spent mostly alone, the doctors had no objection for him to get home, as long as someone would be here with him just in case and he stayed in a calm environment.

But once he had gotten back to his flat, instead of having his friend take care of him, the opposite happened. To be honest, the wolf had seen it coming. He had had to shoot a perp once before, and even though the shot had not been lethal, he had hated it. But if it had been, he knew he could have handled it. Clawhauser however didn't seem he could get past it. His mental state deteriorated day after day. He barely ate, spent his day in his bathrobe and slippers and didn't listen to music at all, which to the wolf was the biggest sign that he wasn't doing good.

Wolford was at loss on how to help his friend. He couldn't make him talk about what ate at him, he couldn't force him to see a psychologist. All he could do was look at him slowly dig his way down the pit.

But he still had a last card to play. He didn't really like to set foot in the private life of other mammals, though he usually did so by accident, but what had to be done, had to be done.

He dialed the number and hoped for the best.

...

The pudgy cat rolled out of his bed, not really knowing why. It was already past ten, way later than when he had to wake up to got to work. Part of him wanted to put on his uniform and actually go to work, but the simple idea of calling himself a cop made him want to crawl back under the blanket and never come out again.

He put on the pink gazelle bathrobe and the pink slippers and made his way to the kitchen. He opened the fridge looked inside, sighed and closed it back. Near it was a box of donuts MacHorn had bought the day prior. He opened it, looked at the glazed bakeries, sighed and closed back the box. A glass of water would do.

He slumped on the large couch, staring at the TV. For a few seconds, he thought about extending the arm to reach the remote. His mind was blank, and he intended to keep it that way. Each time his mind fixated on something, by some sort of convoluted way, it went back to the panther, the pull of the trigger, the bullet killing a mammal. He was a cop, he was supposed to help people, not kill them.

It was usually at this hour that Wolford got up when he was off-duty. For the last four days, he came out of his room to find the cheetah on the couch to say the exact same thing. 'You know, it works better when you actually turn it on.' He would then sit near the cat and propose to cook him something, or to talk about what he was thinking about. The cat wouldn't answer and instead tried to make his face disappear in the fold of his neck. But the wolf wasn't deterred and would talk alone, making the question and the answers, trying without pause to cheer up the cat. Maybe he'd get a half-smile or some sort of movement.

But that day, the wolf didn't come out of his room. That was okay, the cat didn't really need the company. He was alright. He simply needed to not think about anything. As long as he watched the black TV screen, everything would be fine. Nothing to worry about.

Suddenly, the bell rang. It was strange, because mammals needed to use the intercom to get inside the building. Well, Wolford would surely go get the door.  
The bell rang again. Clawhauser lifted a brow. Didn't Wolford hear the bell ? Well, he was being a bit unfair. They both lived here, and it wasn't the wolf's prerogative to answer the door.

The cat grumbled while hobbling to the door, wondering where the wolf could be. Maybe he had gone out ? Or he was sleeping so deeply that he had heard anything. Well it made no difference. Clawhauser went to the door and opened it.

"Heyyyy big brother !"

The cat was surprised by the slender silhouette that had leapt in his arms, not that his arms where open to hug her, he had recoiled in surprise before recognizing his sister.

"Hey little sis !" He tried to greet with the same cheerfulness. "Long time no see."

She took a step back to observe him. He saw her lift a brow but before she could say anything he motioned her to get into the apartment.

"So, how are you doing ? Anything new ?" He asked, before she could.

"Oh, I'm good. I've been selected for the pawlympics training program."

"No kidding ? That's neat !"

"Isn't it ?"

"How fast can you go now ? Have you crossed the one hundred kilometters-per-hour wall ?"

"Pulverized it two weeks ago. Top speed at one hundred and seven. But I'm sure I can do better."

"I'm sure you will."

The female cheetah looked at her brother detailing his looks again. "How are you doing ?"

"Oh, I'm fine. I'm taking a bit of a vacation." He looked away. He felt a bit ashamed of himself, following the end of Lycus' case, the precinct was completely understaffed with all the work that had to be done. But he didn't want to admit to his sister that he was afraid to get back in uniform.

"Are you ? That's great, you work too much. I saw the police operation on TV, I'm glad you have a desk work otherwise I would have been so scared for you."

"Huh. Yeah, I'm lucky I guess. Let's not stay in the corridor. Do you want something to drink ?"

"A glass of water will do."

He went to the kitchen and brought the glass back to her. He sat next to her on the couch and played with his thumbs.

"How are you doing really ?"

"Good. I'm good."

She lifted a brow in disbelief. "Really ?"

"Really."

She leaned toward him and took his paw into hers. "Do you know why I'm here Ben ?"

"You were in the neighborhood and wanted to surprise your favorite big brother ?"

"Almost but not quite. Your friend Wolford called me. Said you needed help, that you were a bit depressed."

The fat cat looked at his paws. He knew he was depressed, but he didn't know what to do about it. Usually he bounced back easily but this time, the thing didn't leave. It was in his head when he woke up, when was awake, when he got to sleep. He even dreamed about it.

"Maybe I'm a bit depressed. Don't worry about it, I'll be okay."

"Did you eat breakfast ?"

"No."

"Did you have dinner yesterday evening ?"

"… No."

"And you say you're okay. Ben, your colleague wouldn't have called me over nothing. Please, explain to me what is happening."

"It's police business. I can't really talk about it."

"Ben, when did that ever stop you from telling me anything ?"

It did a lot of time actually. Oh sure he had sometimes spilled her things that were supposed to be kept under wrap, but the big stuff, he had never talked about. But this wasn't the big stuff. It wasn't even a secret. He simply didn't want to explain to her that he had killed someone.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Now you're really worrying me, Ben. What happened to you ?"

The cat officer shook his head and looked away.

"Is it something you did ?"

The cat froze.

"Whatever you did, I'm sure it can't be that bad." She put a paw on his shoulder and felt he was shaking. "Ben, what happenned ?" She asked as gently as she could.

The male cheetah closed his eyes. He didn't her to now, but she had asked, and he didn't want secrets between them. "I killed someone."  
He heard a slow gasp coming from his sister. "Wha- who-"

"S-some panther in the street." He didn't want to give details, it would be like trying to find an excuse. But there was none, in the heat of the moment he had deliberately aimed his shot to be lethal.

"How ? Why ?"

He heard himself speak from afar, like he had left his own body. "You know the big swipe a few days ago, I was on the field. On a roof with a rifle. There was this panther that had two of my colleagues pinned down. I aimed, I shot, and I just killed her. Just like that." He swallowed down the rising tears. " It- It shouldn't be that easy."

She cupped his chin with her paw and lifted her head up to look him in the eyes. "You saved your colleagues lives, you shot a criminal, there is nothing to feel guilty about. You had no other choice."

"You don't get it !" He almost shouted with anger. "I had a choice. I saw the culprit jump on the car, I had time to aim ! I was scared and angry. He was going to shoot my friends ! At that moment I- I wanted- "

His sister had recoiled a bit. She had never seen him in that state. She had seen the sadness yes, but Ben never got angry.

"Sorry. I'm scaring you. I'm sorry." The cat slumped back on the couch. "I could have aimed for the arm or the legs. I chose the head." He looked into middle-space, lifting his arm and pointing a finger. "Like pointing and clicking." The arm slumped down and he choked as sob.

The younger cheetah grabbed her brother by the shoulder and pulled, making him roll and putting his head on her thighs. "It's not your fault."

"Yes it is. I don't deserve this uniform." Th sobbing continues, the cat's body shaking from the bawling.

"Don't say things like that."

"I shouldn't be a cop."

"Nonsense. You're a great cop."

"Am I ? The only time I go into the field and I- I..."

"Shh, you're okay. Let go. Just let go alright ? I'm not moving from here. No one's blaming you."

"I'm a monster."

"No you're not. You're my brother. You're my perfect big brother."

She stroke his head that she had placed on her crossed leg, slowly repeating "My perfect big brother" in a soothing tone.  
The slow caress was like a slow lull, the sleep that had fled him suddenly crashed like a tidal wave. For the first time in a week, the cat slept without dreaming about the mammal he had killed.

...

By his standard, the nap wasn't that long but when he woke up, he saw his sister looking at him, trying to hide a wince. "Sis ? What are you- Oh." The event slowly came back to his mind. He straightened himself up and heard her exhale slowly. "Heavy head ?"

"Yeah, I miscalculated this." She smiled.

"Sorry."

"No problem. Are you hungry ? It's noon and I'm kind of famished."

The pudgy cat blinked a few times and noticed that he was in fact hungry. "I think I could eat."

"Great !" She made her way to the kitchen, followed by the slow steps of his brother. She glanced at him to check how he was doing after his nap. He wasn't out of the wood yet, far from it, really. But opening up and talking about what was bothering him had done him a bit of good.

She checked the fridge and took a bit of everything, hoping she wasn't taking too much of his flatmates's stuff.

"What are you making ?"

"What are we making ? A total improvisation."

"Pasta'n'stuff ?"

"Yep."

There was eggs, cream, tomatoes, chicken, eggplants, and all sorts of other stuff that the chubby feline didn't have the time to identify. He lifted a brow, wondering what kind of meal she hoped to make with that.

Quickly, the water was set to boil, with a pinch of salt to make it quicker. He peeled and sliced the eggplant and glanced at his sister as she was cutting the chicken breast in uneven bits. The younger cheetah had a lot of qualities but she was a walking nightmare in the kitchen. She was about to cut another bit of chicken when he caught her paw.

"What ?"

"Your fingers."

"Oh."

"Always keep them folded, knuckles against the blade to guide the knife or the thing you're cutting. I'll do that go do- um-" He glanced around to find her something less dangerous to do. "Stir the water."

He took her place and she gave him a smiling side-glance. The assertive behaviour in the kitchen was a good start, it showed a bit of confidence. Stirring the water though, was he serious ? The pasta weren't even in the pot yet. Well, the water was boiling, so she might as well put them in. She measured how much were needed for two mammals and put them in. It didn't seem enough, so she added a pawful. If there was too much, there would be food for later.

Suddenly the intercom rang.

"Jenny, could you get it ? It's probably Wolford coming back."

The male cheetah was busy trying to make some sort of sauce with the cream and a bunch of different aromatic herbs while the chicken had begun cooking in a pan. She bounced to the door and looked at intercom's screen. It wasn't Wolford. The guy was wearing a uniform and holding a bouquet of flower. He was tall and muscular. She recognized the unexpected visitor. This was going to be good. She opened the door and came back to kitchen, giving her brother a sly look.

"I didn't know you had a new boyfriend."

"A what ? What do you mean ?"

"A big guy wearing a uniform, muscular just like you like them, with a bouquet." She was still smiling.

A guy with a uniform ? Muscular ? If she thought it could be his boyfriend, it was probably a feline, so Fangmeyer ? They were friends, but boyfriend, it was a bit of a leap. Maybe the tiger was worried and had come to check on him.

"Don't be silly sis, it's probably just Fangmeyer taking time to check on me. It's nice of him. Maybe you could find a pitcher for the bouquet ? I don't have any vase."  
At that moment the doorbell rang. His sister went to open the door and went back ahead with the same sly smile. "You're sure he's not your boyfriend ? Because I really think you'd look cute together."

The cheetah chuckled, hearing the scoff coming from the corner of the wall. Seemed Fangmeyer hadn't seen the joke coming. "Don't tease him, he's more shy than he wants others to b-"

But it wasn't Fangmeyer. The cheetah's eyes widened and he let the spoon fall on the ground.

"Chief ?" He's voice had instantly turned to meek and he uselessly hoped the chief hadn't heard what he had said. One of his brows was slightly raised, and there was something that looked like the corner of a smile on his mouth. Or a scowl. One of the two, the cat really couldn't tell.

The cat started to speak as fast as he could to clear the misunderstanding.

"MysistersaidthatmynewboyfriendwasatthedoorandIthoughtitwasFangmeyerbecauseyouknowhesafelinetooanditcouldbewhyshewouldsupposeweweretogetherbutImnotseeinganyoneatthemomentandImnotinterestedinFangmeyereitherandyouknowIwouldnevermakethiskindofjokeaboutyou..." The cape buffalo scoffed again and the feline stopped talking. He really hoped his fur was thick enough to hide how red his face was by now. He tried to glance at his sister for support but she had disappeared from the kitchen.

The chief lifted a hoof. "What you say or do in your downtime is your business, I'm not here to judge." The cat was about to try to explain himself again but the chief stopped him by giving him the bouquet of flower. "Wolford told me how bad you were. Well he told it to those who asked. I hope flowers are a good enough get-well gift."

Clawhauser was suddenly acutely aware that he was wearing a pink Gazelle bathrobe in front of the chief. Though he was wearing underwear he still felt a lot more naked than he should.

The cat nodded his head with an embarrassed smile and took the flower. He smelled them. He didn't know the first thing about flowers but they smelled good. He looked back at chief Bogo who was scratching the back of his head and seem to try and look away. "Weren't you cooking ?"

"Oh ! Yes I was." He looked back at the multiple pans and pots that were still on the stove, he glanced back at the flower. He didn't know if he should give them back to the chief or get back to cooking. That was the moment Jenny chose to come back with a bucket half-full of water.

"Sorry, didn't find a pitcher." She said, way to happily. She took the bouquet and carefully put it the bucket, she then turned to the chief. "You're chief Bogo right ?" She said extending a paw.

"Adrian Bogo, yes. You must be Jennifer Clawhauser." He shook the paw.

"So my brother does talk about me."

For an answer, she got a light scowl-smile.

"Well, I'll let you two talk. I'm sure Ben can handle talking and cooking at the same time. I'll set up the table. Are you staying Mr Bogo ?"

"I'm afraid I can't. I still got a lot of work to do and not much time to spend here."

"What a shame." She gave a playful glance at her brother. "A shame indeed." And went away.

Clawhauser watched her get away and turned back to the stove to hide his blushing face. "It's nice of you to come check on me sir."

He heard the chief approach from behind and had to fight himself to not freeze. He wondered if he was pissed at the joke or not.

The cape buffalo dipped the tip of a hoof in the sauce the cat was making. "Tastes nice. "

"I should add bayleaf. Maybe some thyme. It will have to sit a bit more... But I suppose you've not come here to talk about cooking. Did Wolford advise you to come today ?"

"No, it was a kind of spur of the moment. I came because of your absence."

The cat's shoulder slumped a bit. "Sorry."

"I don't mean it like that. I know you're taking what happened a bit hard. I wanted to be sure you didn't take it… Too hard."  
The cat put lids on the pot where was the sauce and turned down the fire under the chicken. He purposely avoided the chief's look and the buffalo noticed it.

"How are you doing, Ben ?"

"I'm good."

"If you were, I'd have already requested your presence back at the precinct. You know I expect honesty from my subordinates." The cat's shoulder fell a bit more and the chief guessed that maybe he was being too pushy. "Sorry. I didn't mean to say you were dishonest with me. I know this is a difficult situation. I'm not very good with the social side of my job. That's usually why I have MacHorn."

Was that a joke ? The cat lifted his gaze to look at the chief's expression. This time, he was sure there was a smile there. The cat smiled in turn and began cleaning the work surface. He needed the few seconds it required to collect his thoughts.

"I'm not good. The shooting. Me kill-" He took a deep breath. "-killing the panther, it just plays in my head in a loop."

"You know it's not your fault."

"Do you think so ? You know how I can aim. I purposely shot where I did. I wasn't trying to stop her, I was trying to-"

The chief leaned forward and put his hoof on the cat's shaking shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. "Most of the time, when we take a split-second decision, it's true there is a thought-process behind it, but do you honestly believe you killed the panther on purpose ?"

"I do."

"Let me ask this another way. If you did have more than a split-second to make that decision, do you think you would have done things a different way ?"

The cheetah looked at the floor while playing with his paws.

"The truth is, you can't know with certainty, and neither can I, though I have my own theory. Here is what I came to tell you : Do not second guess yourself. Do not fall into the trap of the 'what ifs'. You took a decision, and given that it saved two of your colleagues lives, it was the right one. I know it will take time to come to term with what happened, so take all the time you need. If you think you need psychological support, the ZPD can arrange to cover part of the costs."  
The medical and psychological expense was one of the new mayor Swinton's rulings. After Lycus' case, it seemed the city had noticed its officers weren't efficiently protected and helped.

"Thanks chief."

The cat turned away and emptied the pasta pot in a skimmer, giving an excuse to hide his face again and regain his composure.

"You're welcome." The chief took out his phone and looked at the time. "I need to leave. Ben, one last thing."

"Yes ?"

"All your colleagues, me included are looking forward to have you back."

"Tell them I look forward to being back. I'm just not ready yet."

"Take all the time you need. How you feel is important." The chief took a step back. "I need to get back to work. Have a good day."

"Thanks sir. Have a nice day too."

As the chief left the falt, Jenny came back to the kitchen. "The table is set up. Too bad he didn't stay." Her brother didn't answer. "Are you alright ?"

"Why did you say my 'boyfriend' was at the door ? It was so embarrassing !"

"I simply made a logical assumption. Hunk plus bouquet equals boyfriend in my book."

"You did it on purpose. You perfectly knew who he was and that he wasn't my boyfriend."

"What ? Couldn't he be ?"

"No ! Of course not !"

She approached to smell the food that was cooking and gave him a side glance. "Is it because he's not a feline ?"

"You know I don't care about that. He's the chief ! Chief Bogo ? Main chief of the ZPD ? My boss ? Does that ring a bell ?" He turned back at the stove. The meal was almost done. He took the plates his sister had brought and filled them while grumbling incoherently.

"And that's what's stopping you ? The whole ZPD chief thing ?"

"Of course it is."

"The only thing stopping you ?"

The cat almost dropped the plates. "Wha-"

"I said is it-"

"I perfectly heard you. I am not having this conversation."

"I'm not hearing a no."

Red coming up to his cheeks, he put her plate right under her nose. She couldn't not smell it. It smelled heavenly.

"If you want what is on this plate, you will drop the matter right now." He smiled

Really assertive brother. It seemed the chief's visit had done him good too. She pondered if skipping that meal was worth the teasing but it really wasn't, the food was mouth-watering.

"To be continued, then ?" She proposed.

"Nope. Show cancelled."


	3. Gun in a Shaking Paw

_**Foxlover31 :** It's something I have seen a lot, or properly handled, both in fanfictions or in published works. People kill people and are perfectly fine with it two minutes later. Of course it depends on the person. Some people can rationalize it easier than others. Clawhauser can't._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 3 :** Gun in a Shaking Paw_

 _Monday the 16th of April 2019_

Several mammals had come to visit the fox during his time at the hospital. He couldn't remember all their names, but there was a tiger named Anand Fangmeyer, two rhinos, one MacHorn, and one Rhinowitz, both of them as stern as the other, an elephant, Francine Somethington… All of those were officers. Some of them seemed really surprised that his arm was broken, wondering how it could have happened. He didn't answer, since he didn't know either. He also received the visit of a shrew who called himself Mr Big, which he found hilarious but he kept himself from laughing. He had come along with a female shrew, Fru-Fru, which was his daughter and had a shrilling voice. A large stern polar bear was carrying them, which only highlighted their little size. It didn't take him long to put together that the shrew was some sort of criminal, but Judy, the one that was supposed to be his mate, and a ZPD officer, didn't seem to mind. If anything, they seemed to be good friend.

Judy had talked to him a lot about everyone. For instance, him and Fangmeyer were mainly the ones that put the wagers in place at the precinct. Him and Wolford had a similar sense of humour. He was also the godfather of one of Fru-Fru's children.

She told him about how they met and how she had coerced him into helping her. It made him frown but he didn't get angry. She spared him no detail and he had come to the conclusion that he had acted as a bit of an ass toward her, but in the end they had stopped the lamb named Bellwether. The name ringed a bell, pun intended, but he couldn't place it.

Next she told him on how he had gone to the academy and gotten his badge. They had been partners for a while and gotten together when he had come to declare at Bunny Burrows. She was smiling when telling the story, and the fox thought that she should always be smiling. She was so much cuter and it made him happy to see her like that.

The story went downhill after she moved in with him. They had been shot during an altercation and it was the reason why her leg wasn't working properly for now. She showed him the scar on his own body, where the bullet had cracked his ribs.

Then she explained that the reason why he was grey, was because he had gone undercover. She didn't remember all the details after that, because she wasn't with him, so she promised that she would bring him hers and Blackfur's reports, to jog his memory.

He had seen on TV about how Bellwether had been killed a few days prior by some fox, and he had figured out that he was probably the one to have done so. But he didn't feel any guilt or satisfaction about it. He didn't feel like he had done it at all.

Finally it was the day he was authorized to leave the hospital. The doctor gave him a few recommendations, he'd have to avoid physical activities, especially those involving moving his head and neck too much. He'd also have to come back to have his broken arm checked up, but it seemed the cracked bone was healing properly. Apart from that, he was pretty much free to do whatever he wanted. He was glad because he didn't like the place, but as he set the first foot outside, next to the bunny, he asked her.

"This is all very good, but where are we going ?"  
The bunny seemed way more tired than when they had first met, when he had woken up. Something told him that she had cried a lot, and he hoped that it wasn't his fault.

"Our flat is a few minutes away. Finnick should come pick us up."

The fox glanced at the bunny who was looking away, nervously playing with one of her ears. He wanted to say to her that he was sorry he didn't remember her. She seemed so sad each time she looked at him that sometimes he wanted to pretend he had his memory back, but he knew that it would only make it worse.  
The fennec arrived and they sat on the two passenger seat on front.

"Hi guys, how are you doing ?"

"Fine." Answered Nick.

"How's the..." Asked the small vulpine, pointing at his head.

"Still nothing."

"Don't worry, it'll come back." It seemed he was talking to the fox as much a he was talking to the bunny.

The trip was done in silence, the fox could feel the growing sadness inside the bunny. They arrived and took the elevator up, arriving to the sixth level. The bunny went to the stairs and carefully climbed the first step.

"Doesn't the elevator go higher ?"

"Nope. The last two floors must be climbed on foot."

"You're going to hurt yourself."

The bunny glanced back and tried to climb the next step. "I'll be okay." In fact, the doctor deemed a good thing that she had to climb stairs. As long as she did it slowly, it would help give strength back to her leg muscles in preparation for the heavy reeducation she would undertake later.  
The fox sighed, went to her and lifted her up with his valid arm. She was surprisingly light. "Wha-"

He avoided her gaze while going up, feeling his face heat up. "If I'm your mate, I suppose you're okay with me helping you. Hold on to your crutches."  
Judy couldn't keep herself from smiling. She knew his memories hadn't come back but she felt good in his arms. She breathed his musk, a thing that she hadn't done for way too long. For the few seconds the climb took, everything felt right. To her surprise, he didn't put her down at the end of the stairs, but carried her to the door.

She took the keys from her pocket and opened it. He entered and like he had done that before, slammed the door with a foot.

He looked at the place and didn't recognize it. It was an ordinary flat, there was a couch and a TV in front of it. The kitchen, like the rest was clean. He sat the bunny on the couch and scratched his chin.

"You didn't have to carry me there."

"You seemed tired. And sad. And well..." He looked at her and she was looking at him with curiosity. "You seemed like you could use the physical affection." He casually walked to a window and opened it. The truth was, he was trying to hide his blush. The complete truth was, he wanted to be close to her too, but as long as he didn't have his memory back, it seemed dishonest. He wasn't the fox she loved, he was basically no one. A fox with a blank memory, in a life that didn't seem to be his.  
He contemplated the city, its landscape, and didn't recognize it either. "It's strange you know ? I know how to talk, to count, to do math. I know what a car is, I think I even know how to drive one. But this city, the people, I don't know them." He turned to her and saw that tears had come to her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"About what ?" Smiled the doe. "It's not your fault you got shot in the head."

"I'm sorry that I don't remember you. I see it makes you sad, but I think I don't want you to be sad."

"That's okay, it'll come back."

The fox slumped near her on the couch, mumbling something.

"What ?"

"What if it doesn't come back ?"

"It will." She didn't want to think about what would happen if it didn't. It was too hard, she didn't want him to be a stranger. He was her fox. She was his bunny.

"But what if it doesn't ? I can't just impose my presence in your life. If my memory doesn't come back, I'm no one. I wouldn't really be your mate."

"Memory or not, I want your presence in my life. And if you don't remember me, I'll make you fall for me again, even if it takes years." She had turned to him and put a paw on his. "I know I'm no one to you right now. I know it's hard, and it's not your thing to trust strangers, or at least it wasn't before you lost your memory, but please trust me. I'll do everything I can to help you."

The fox swallowed hard and hugged her before realizing what he was doing. When he did, he pulled away. She let him, but he could see she didn't want to break the contact. "Sorry. I just- It felt like the thing to do."

The tear she had held back until they had arrived began flowing out.

"Please don't cry." The fox took the tissue box that was on the coffee table.

"I'm s-sorry. I just- I can't." The bunny was overwhelmed by conflicting emotions, most of which she couldn't even name. The fox tried to wipe her tears, but there clearly wasn't enough tissue in the box. She looked up at him and saw that him too was on the verge of tears.

"I'm sorry I'm making you sad."

The bunny shook her head. "That's okay, you know us bunny, always emotional." She tried to put on a brave face, but it was ruined by the tears that kept running from her eyes.

"I can't bear to see you like this." The fox bit his lips, and hugged her again, it was the only thing he thought about that he could comfort her. He felt the tears wet his shirt and his chest through it. They pulled apart, their faces ending up a few inches from each other.

"I know you. I know that I know you." He sobbed. "I want to remember. Why can't I remember ? I feel like you're the best thing in my life."

"I know you're the best in mine. I love you."

"I love you too." He knew it was true, but his memories remained locked away.

She leaned slowly toward him, fearing that he would pull away. But he didn't. Their lips met. He felt the love in her kiss and duplicated it. It felt so natural, so right. Suddenly the pain in his head was back, unbearable, but he didn't want to break the contact. He never wanted to. It was the happiest he had been in a long time. The pain slowly receded and the kiss broke while she pulled away.

"That would have been really awkward if my memory hadn't come back, hey Carrots ?" The fox chuckled. She looked at him and giggled too.

"You remember ?"

"I think I need another couple of kisses just to be sure."

She leaped forward and the fox stumbled back under a passionate kiss. It was a good thing his the cast around his arm protected it. When she was done and while he

took his breath back she said "That's what you get for worrying me so much." And unceremoniously, she buried her face in his chest.

"I'm fine with that." He answered, while stroking her ears. "Do you think it's usual for the prince to get his memory back after the princess' kiss ?"

"You remember what the doc said, violent emotions can sometimes trigger the memories' return." Came her voice, muffled by his fur.

"It begs the question : what did you intend to do if a kiss wasn't enough."

She looked up with a naughty grin. "Wouldn't you like to know ?"

The fox innocently played with one of her ears. "I think my memory is still a bit hazy."

She crawled up and kissed his snout while unbuttoning his shirt. "For medical purpose then."

"Clever bunny."

"Sly fox."

* * *

His sister had proposed him to go out but he didn't want to go outside. He was perfectly fine inside and didn't feel ready to face the world yet. They spent their day looking at musicals which usually could cheer him up. His mood had slightly fallen during the afternoon but he could at last start to believe he could actually get back from what he had done.

It was around seven when Jenny prepared to leave.

"You know, you could tay sleep here. The couch is big enough for you to sleep on it. Or we could even share the bed." Proposed the pudgy feline.

"Aren't you a bit old to have a sleepover ?" She asked tauntingly.

"No, I'm not. So ?"

"Well, no I can't really stay to sleep here. I already skipped class today, if I stay here, I know I won't wake up and I'll miss class tomorrow too."

"Wait, you skipped school ?"

"It's Monday, of course I skipped. Don't worry, I'll catch up on what I missed. It was an emergency, I'm glad I came. And it had been too long since we had seen eachother."

The male cheetah hugged his sister. "I'm glad you came too. It really helped me. You take care, and be good in school."

"I won't make foolish promises. I love you big brother, don't hesitate to call if you need someone to talk to."

He had accompanied her to ground level and went back up. He entered his room and opened the closet. He pulled his uniform and looked at it. It was strange to see it a week later, but he didn't feel ready yet. But he'd get there.

The next week passed quickly enough, and soon Wolford was back to work. Without anyone else in the flat, the feline found himself seeking company, so he went out. He visited clothes and records stores but he didn't feel in the mood to buy anything. He just window shopped. He passed a poster and went back a few steps. There was going to be a new Gazelle concert in a few months, and it was already advertised. It would be nice to go, maybe he could convince Judy to go with him, she would get Nick to come too. The more they would be to go the more fun it would be. He smiled, imagining himself ask the chief to go. He knew the buffalo was a closet fan, it was maybe the only side of him that wasn't so focused and serious. The pudgy cat had to repress a chuckle imagining the chief trying to dance, it was something that simply wasn't possible.

* * *

 _Monday the 23rd of April 2019_

That morning, the cat woke up with a newfound resolution. He knew it wasn't that strong, so he had to act before having the chance to change his mind. He quickly showered and dried himself, took a quick breakfast and went back to his room. The uniform was still there. The feline took an inspiration and dressed up, stopping when it came to put on the belt with his service weapon. He unholstered it and felt his paw shaking. Quickly he put it back in place and put on the belt, feeling the weight of the weapon at his side. He went to look at himself in his mirror and noticed he actually had missed putting on the uniform. It only strengthened his resolution and he left the flat. He knew that he should have informed Precinct One he had decided to come but he hadn't for several reasons. One, he wasn't sure he could actually be back yet, this was actually at test flight. Two, if he had, they have given him some sort of schedule or rendez-vous and he wanted this to happen in his time. Three, he had something to try, and preferred to be relatively alone to do it.

He turned at the corner of the last street before arriving to ZPD building. When he found himself in front of it, he took a step back, wondering if it was a good idea to come back right now. He didn't know if he was ready. He didn't feel ready. But then again, he knew that there were few chances that he would ever feel ready without forcing himself a bit.

Slowly exhaling, he closed the few dozen meters separating him from the door and entered, trying to be as discreet as the large hallway permitted.  
Looking around, he saw Clawfith at the front desk. The wolverine looked at him with surprise and the cat quickly came to greet him before he could shout his name across the hallway.

"Hey Clawfith, how are you doing ?"

"Good, how are you ? Better ?"

"I don't know yet. This is kind of a test run, I'm not sure if I'm ready yet., so..."

"Okay, I'll keep you being here quiet. I'll have to inform the chief though."

The cat didn't really want the chief to know he was in the precinct, but he couldn't ask the wolverine to hide his presence, it would at least earn him a stern lecture.

The gods knew chief Bogo's stern lectures were terrifying.

And with what he was about to try, maybe he would get one.

"Alright. I'm just going for a stroll in the hallway for now."

"Okay. Call if you need anything."

Luckily the cat didn't cross anyone's path, making his way to his destination.

Facing the door he was looking for, he took a long deep breath. This was going to be hard, but the violent treatment was often the most effective. He hoped. He opened the door and the scent of powder and fire went to his nose. From where he was, behind the padded soundproof walls, he could already hear the gunfire. Other officers were here. He knew he wasn't going to be alone.

A few seconds later, he was wearing the shooting-range's noise-canceling earphones and had gone to a box. He crossed Snarlov's path that looked at him incredulously. The cat waved and the white bear waved in turn.

At his box, the cat put the gun on the little table, put a target in place and slowly inhaled. He wasn't nervous. He was terrified. He wasn't even touching his gun and his heart was already pounding way too fast. He had to rest his paw on the table to calm down and in a swift motion he took the gun, put in a magazine and armed it. The familiar weight in his hand did nothing to calm him down.

He tried to lift up the gun but it felt like it weighed a ton. He looked around, feeling like he was observed and he was. Snarlov and Fangmeyer were looking at him from behind. He blocked them out and went back to his concentration.

The goal was to shoot the target. At least his paws weren't shaking. Well, not too much. Yet.

This time, he could lift up the gun to aim at the target. He noticed an overprint on the target. Squinting his eyes he recognized it was the silhouette of a panther. The cat officer noticed his paws were shaking hard. With short breaths he brought the gun down, white noise invading his brain. For a few seconds he wondered if he wasn't going to pass out.

When the white noise disappeared, there weren't any gunshot noises anymore. He looked behind himself fearing all the officers had gathered to look at him shoot. But there was only one mammal. The chief was here, leaning against the door, arms crossed with a neutral expression. All other officers had cleared the room.

Clawhauser turned quickly back to his target. He was going to be lectured, he just knew it. At least, he should shoot at the target to save face. He aimed again and felt his paw shake. No matter, even in this state, he knew that he could acquire his target. The shot would be scattered and imprecise but it was doable. Maybe. He felt tears rising up but kept them at bay. The fear was still there, more present than ever, and the chief's presence didn't really help either.

He put a finger on the trigger and felt dizzy. It wasn't good. A first tear rolled down. He insisted and tried to pull but his finger wouldn't move. Gritting his teeth he tried to put all his might in his shaking paw. It wasn't working. It wasn't going to work. The gun went down and he let his head slump forward, defeated. It was the only physical part of his job that he could do, and now he couldn't do it anymore. He wanted to be a cop, he wanted to come back, but he wouldn't be able to.  
A hoof went to rest on his shoulder. The cat pulled the headphones from his ears. If the chief was going to lecture him, the sooner the better.

"You don't have to push yourself that hard." The chief's voice was gentle, more than the cat was used to. "You can try again later."

"I don't know if I'll have the courage later."

The chief didn't respond.

"If I can't shoot anymore, I will have to stop being a cop. It's the only thing that was keeping me in the force with my physical performances. And now it's gone." The tears were pouring again. "I don't want to stop being a cop, sir. I need to be able to shoot. I'll spend the week here if I have to but I'll pull that trigger." The cat brought the gun up. It started shaking. He put the finger on the trigger and the shaking doubled.

"Clawhauser, stop."

"I have to do this."

"Stop, please. You'll hurt yourself."

"No !" Shouted the cat. "I need to do this. I need to be able to do this."

"Alright."

The chief hoof left his subordinate's shoulder. The cat heard the steps move away and suddenly felt incredibly lonely. When the chief reached the door and it slammed, he thought he was alone, and was surprised when he heard it lock. He turned and the chief approached with and expression of focused determination. Clawhauser almost took a step back.

"Take aim."

The feline nodded, put back the headset on and lifted his weapon toward the target. His paws shook again, and even before putting his finger on the trigger, he knew it wasn't going to work. A feeling of defeat overwhelmed him. He was going to put the gun back down when he felt the chief's presence way closer.  
A large arm went around his left and put itself under his left arm, supporting it and keeping it in place. The chief had leaned and the feline could feel his chest against his back. He had to try real hard and stay focused on the target. His paws were still shaking but more faintly. He tried to put the finger but his vision started to blur and so he pulled it back. Slowly, the chiefs right arm came and took his. Through the soundproof earphone, he heard the chief say. "Shake your head if you need to stop."

The cat nodded in agreement.

Ever so gently, the chief's hoof put the cat's finger on the trigger. The shaking was now a bit stronger but it was manageable. For a few seconds, the panther overprint appeared again and Clawhauser almost shook his head. He clenched his teeth and the image disappeared. He understood that the chief wouldn't make him pull the trigger. It was his task. He adjusted his aim as much as he could and pulled the trigger. The gun fired and the cat almost dropped it. The ghost panther fell. He felt his guts turn, like an urge to throw up. Focusing all his might, he lifted the gun, helped by the buffalo, took aim and fired a second time. The ghost panther's brain exploded in a splash of grey and red. The horrible sensation came again, and he almost fell, staying up only because of the chief's support. For the third time he took aim and shot a third and final round. The ghost panther stumbled, before slumping down from the car. On the edge of fainting, he knew he wouldn't be able to do it again.

He disarmed his gun, took out the magazine and put them both on the bench. He had to lean against the chief to not fall over afterwards. He felt a hoof take away the headphones and he let himself get sit against the wall of his box. The chief kneeled near him.

"That was reckless, officer Clawhauser."

The cat heard the electrical noise of the target sliding on its rail.

"I'm sorry, chief."

"Don't be. Sometimes reckless is good."

From where he was, the feline couldn't see the target. "Did I do good ?"

"I'd say there is room for improvement."

Of the three bullets the cat officer had shot, two had punched holes in the black silhouette, and only one was aimed acceptably. Surprisingly, the cat chuckled. "At least, I'm still not the worst shot at the precinct."

The chief scoffed. It was true. Francine had a hard time aiming with her large hooves. Against all regulations, the chief had accepted that she'd use her trunk to use guns on the field. It was more like a 'willful ignorance', but during exams she had to use her hooves and the results were usually horrifying.

"Chief, may I ask a favor."

"You may ask."

"I'd like to get back on duty. Not on the field obviously, but I just can't spend my time at home anymore. I feel I need to be back to properly... get back from this."

"Will you accept to get professional help ?"

"If you believe it's necessary."

"It's not what I, but what you believe that is important. I can put you back on duty as a test run for the next few weeks without it, but you know I can't keep an officer who can't use his service weapon on the payroll."

"I'd like to try the test run, if that's okay with you."

"Of course."

The chief offered his hoof to help the feline officer up, who took it.

"I'm glad you're back Ben."

"Me too chief."

The chief nodded and left the room, unlocking the door on his way out. Clawhauser took back his gun, put the magazine in and slid it in his holster. He still didn't like having it on him, but the weight felt more bearable now.


	4. Consequences of Necessity

_**Robert Escher :** Given that I have never experienced any kind of heavy trauma in my entire existence, this is probably the best complmiement I've ever received. Thanks a lot._

 _ **Foxlover91 :** Thanks for the compliment. I'm not completely done torturing these two mammals yet. But the hardest part is behind them. Or is it ?  
Yeah, there is no way the ZPD (or the chief) will let Ben go._

 _ **Edit :** Thanks to **Lord of Hentais** , I corrected a little blunder in the second part of the chapter. It wasn't much, but I might make the reading more pleasant._

 _This story doesn't require a precise temporal framing anymore. Yay, less work for me._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 4** : Consequences of Necessity_

 _End of April 2019_

Quickly after Nick had recovered his memory, they had gone to meet Finnick and Vivienne to announce the news, which earned Nick a new slap and hug from his mother, and a nod from the fennec. It seemed that though they had been worried for him, none of them doubted he'd get his memory back.

Naked and lying in bed, the two lovers had spent most of the last days inside, simply happy do spend time together.

On his back, Nick was looking at the ceiling, a frown on his face, while his bunny was cuddlingly lying on his belly and chest.

"What is it Nick ? You look strange, are parts of your memories still missing ?"

"I don't know." The fox grinned.

"Not funny Nick."

"A bit funny. But yeah, I actually miss some stuff. I mean apart for the first and a half year after I was born... And three months in 2004. But those don't count."

"What is it ? I mean, what happened before or after it that you can actually remember ?"

The vulpine scratched his head. "I had just arrived at the place where I found Bellwether. I remember the firefight that happened after I tricked her into divulging all her plans. Again." His face showed a sly mean grin. "But I don't remember her death. Maybe in the confusion I was shot in the head and Jack killed her, or maybe I did.

The truth is, I have absolutely no idea how it ended."

"Does it make a difference ?"

"Well, those are my memories. I'd like to have them back."

"The doctor warned us than the last moments before you were shot had a chance to never come back. What was the term he used ? Retrograde amnesia, I think. It's not uncommon."

The fox sighed. "I could still ask Jack, if I ever see him again. I bet I'm not considered an agent anymore, so I guess I can't really count on it. Too bad the audio of the recording that the media got was cut at the end of the firefight. I just feel I miss something. If I was shot during that fight, I guess it would all have been erased. I

know I shot at least one of them after having plunged to get my gun back, but after that, blank wall. Nothing."

"Do you really want to know ?"

The fox gritted his teeth. "Yeah. But to explain why, I should rewind the event a bit. Do you know a bit about what happened ?"

"The chief brought me the forensic report, ballistic and all. From what I remember, it was a complete mess." The truth was, she actually knew it was Nick that had shot the lamb, and there was no way it wasn't during that firefight. From what she knew, there had been no reason for it to stop at a certain point. And the evidence pointed toward that theory too.

"I know they found the young fox, Mike, in the garage."

"Yeah. They identified him, his full name was Michael Artorius Wicce. His sister got the body back and I think it already got incinerated."

Nick had winced at that. He had actually promised Scarlet he would keep an eye on the kid to finally get him killed. He'd have to visit her later, and that wasn't something he looked forward to.

"It was the one I helped get off the drugs remember ?" He felt his throat tighten, talking about the kid was painful. At the time, he didn't think he had gotten so attached but he had become his friend after all.

The bunny nodded.

"Well, I didn't take his death too well. I really don't know how I kept my cool when I was in front of Bellwether at the end, even with her henchmen on the way, because all I wanted to do was put a bullet in her face. And a couple more just to be sure." He scratched his eyes. "Sorry about that."

She put a paw up and caressed his cheek. "It's okay."

"Not really. I hope you won't see me differently, but I really wanted her dead." He glanced down, fearing her reaction at that last sentence.

"I get it. I mean, not really, but I won't blame you for that."

"So to be completely honest, I kind of want to know because of that. Part of me wants to be the one that killed her. Part of me hope it's not the case. It would only have been for revenge and I'm not sure it's something good... By that point, I didn't really care about the case anymore." Nick sighed. "So there you have it. Your fox is a bloodthirsty revenge-seeker."

"Not funny, and not true." The fox glanced down at that. "Nick, those weren't normal circumstances. You had spent months undercover, you had serious reasons to be upset. And you were under crazy pressure. And besides, you don't even know if you have killed her."

"But you do. You've read the forensic report, did you not ?"

"Yes. Do you really want to know ?"

"Yes, I really do."

"I'll tell you on one condition, you mustn't blame yourself for her death either way."

The truth was he wouldn't if he had killed her. It was the thing he was scared to admit. He felt guilty about his reasons, but he had considered it, and if he was the one that had killed her, he would only feel glad. And he would feel guilty about feeling glad.

"I won't."

The bunny took an inspiration. "Forensic haven't uncovered everything, but they were pretty sure someone else helped you. Agent Savage, I guess. Three of the four henchmen were killed by bullets from a gun that wasn't found on the crime scene. And those bullets were shot from an angle that didn't correspond to where your tracks were. The bullets that killed one of the sheep were yours. And it was the same kind that killed Bellwether."

The 'great' he was about to say stayed in his throat. "Okay." He scratched his chin. "Still don't remember, but I'm fine with that."

"Good. By the way, the bullet that cracked your skull was hers."

The fox chuckled. There was really nothing to answer to that.

"So to me, it was self-defense anyway." She added.

Maybe it could be considered self-defense, but it made no difference to the fox. She was a dead body stored in a morgue. Good riddance.

"Shit."

"You're cursing now ?" asked the bunny with a smile.

"I cursed before. I have a phonecall to make. At least one week overdue, if not three."

"To whom ?"

"Mr Big. You are not going to like it. Could you give me my phone ? Or simply get off me so I can get to it ?"

She rolled to the nightstand and grabbed the device.

"What is it about ?"

"Work. Hard to explain."

She gave him the phone and Nick dialed the number. It rang a few times before a deep voice answered. Nick put the phone on speaker. "Big's residence, Koslov speaking."

"Koslov, it's Nick, how are doing big guy ?"

"You have some unfinished business with the boss Nick."

"Frank does, not me. But let's not waste time with technicalities, can I talk with your boss ?"

"Patching you through."

Classical music played and a few seconds later the shrew's squeaky voice was heard. "Hello Nick, how are you doing ?"

"I'm fine sir. I'm calling about your guests."

"Which ones ? May I remind you that you sent a lot of folks toward me ?"

Nick glanced at Judy who gave him an inquisitive look.

"Let's begin by the ones I rescued from Vlad's holding cells."

"I offered them rooms for the night and most of them left to get back with their loved ones in the morning. They were really cooperative with the questioning."

"Questioning ?" Intervened the bunny.

"Oh, Judith dearest, you're hear too ? How are you doing ?"

"I'm fine, You ?"

"I'm doing perfectly well. What was your question ?"

"You were talking about questioning mammals." She said with an alarmed tone.

"We simply asked question. Well, Koslov did, but it's the same, he knows how to be nice. There was no violence involved whatsoever, do not be worried."

"Oh. Good"

"And the ones I sent afterwards ?"

"Sean, Lucas, Skye and Osman ? We are still detaining them. Except for Sean, he had to be hospitalized."

"Hospitalized ?" Intervened the bunny again.

"Not our doing, Judy. There was a disagreement with his leader, Skye and she roughed him up a bit. A lot. I wouldn't know what it was about though."

"Alright. But you said you were detaining them ?"

Nick winced, she hadn't forgotten that part.

"They're more like guests, they were very cooperative after it was revealed that Bellwether was behind everything yet again. They gave us a lot of good intel on Vlad too."

The bunny sighed. She knew that there would be some action taken from Big's family toward Vlad's, and she didn't like knowing about it. Gang wars always put mammals at risk, and knowing it would eventually happen was hard on her, especially because she could do nothing about it. It was the price to pay for Big's friendship. On one paw she knew that as long as she would be part of the family, he would take her into account in his actions, and especially because he would never hear the end of it from Fru-Fru if he upset the bunny. On the other it meant sometimes knowing stuff that kept her up at night.

"Can I talk to their leader please ?"

"Of course. I'll have them called here. Please wait for a bit."

The classical music played again.

"Nick, you know that it's not to be revealed that you were Frank, even now. ZIA's orders. And the chief agrees with that."

"I know. If the public came to learn my part on this, it could reflect badly on the ZPD. I know it's better that my part in all this stays buried. You know, it was strange when I didn't have all my memories, some of the guys said they were glad I had finally came out of coma after three months, and the others said that I had only spent a week under. It was really confusing."

"I can imagine."

"The most fun thing was that some of them were asking why I was grey. What did you say to them again ?"

"Lack of vitamins and sunlight can lead to hair discoloration." She recited.

"That was a nicely written pile of bullshit." he chuckled.

"You know, it's not entirely false, but it would take around a year for you to look that way naturally. I'm glad you're back to your real color though."

He looked at his fur. It wasn't his really real color, he'd actually have to dye hie fur red for the next few months. But he felt like his old self, and it made him happy.  
The music stopped suddenly.

"Hello ? Mr Big said someone wanted to talk with me."

"Hey, Skye, it's Frank. How are you ?"

"Frank ? What the hell ? You disappear for a week and you just call like this."

"I promise, I'll send a postcard too."

"A post- Where are you ?"

"Oh Skye, you know I won't reveal my location over the phone. I'm away, far away from the city." Judy recognized his tone. It was the same he had when theyu first met. The mix of smugness and dismissivness.

"And you didn't come to get us ?"

"I didn't have that possibility, sorry. And I fear I won't have it for a long time."

"Great. That's just fucking great." There was a shot pause before the vixen talked again. "You were the one that offed Bellwether were you ?"

"Yep. That's me."

"The news said you were one against five and came out on top. I wish I could have been here to see it." He didn't answer to that, he could have made a joke, but he didn't feel like it was the right moment. "They also talked about Mike. Is it true he was killed by a crooked cop ?"

"I didn't know she was before Bellwether told me. I just shot her out of habit." That joke was of really poor taste. Judy was listening, but she let it pass. "No, to be honest, I knew it the moment she shot us without warning. But yeah, he was killed by that cop."  
He heard Skye sigh at the other end. "That sucks, he really didn't deserve that. We sere so unfair to him, and... I never apologized properly. I know you were close. I'm sorry."

"Thanks. But I wasn't calling for this. I was wondering what you were going to do now."

"We don't know, we could leave the city, but it could mean spend a lot of time on the run. I can't make the decision for everyone. Do you have a suggestion ?"

"It depends, do you want to get back to Zootopia in the next ten years ?"

"I wish I didn't have to leave to begin with. Part of me want to atone… To help rebuild… But I'll just ge thrown in jail if I get recognized by the authorities." She sighed.

"Then, there you have it. Run away. Maybe arrange for something with Mr Big and take with you whoever wants to come. They could risk it and stay in the city, though wanted, they're technically not actively seeked by the ZPD, I've kpet an eye on things. But that could still be risky. There is also the option to surrender and strike a deal with the ZPD but it's a bit of a gamble."

"Surrender to the ZPD, right." She chuckled. "I'm not that desperate. I'll talk to the boys. Thanks for calling."

"You're welcome. Good bye and good luck."

They heard the vixen give back the phone to Mr Big.

"She's gone Nick. Anything else you needed ?"

"If you could give them the mean to leave the city..."

"I'll see what I can do. Anything else ?"

"Nope. I'm good."

"Then I have to hang up, I have some work to do, and things to arrange."

"Ok, good bye sir."

"Good bye Nick."

"Good bye mister Big." Said the bunny.

"Good bye Judy."

The shrew hung up, silence falling on the room. It lingered a bit before the bunny broke it.

"Did you just advise a wanted criminal to flee from justice ?"

"Yeah. Sorry about that. I just can't really see them as criminal. Blackfur was right, the relations were based on lies, but they resulted in real emotion and attachments.

Are you upset with me ?"

She brushed his chest fur with a paw. "No. If they were really dangerous, I trust you would let them get captured. And besides, we're both on sick leave. You do want you want in your off duty time."

"As long as it's legal, remember ?"

"Yeah, well, I think we both earned a bit of leniency."

* * *

 _End of April 2019_

"You know Nick, Clawhauser invited us over at noon and it's not even 10AM, no need to prepare for this soon."

"There is somewhere I want to go before, and I know you well enough to believe that you'll discover where I'm going sooner or later. And then you'd wish you would have come with me. So yes, we need to prepare this soon. Do you need my help to put your clothes on ?"

"No, I'll be okay. This is all very mysterious. Is it a surprise ?"

"No. Or a bad one. We're going to see Scarlet. I got her brother killed, I owe her the truth."

The bunny froze. "The one that kissed you ?"

"Really ? That kiss is the first thing you worry about ?" The tone he had used showed more irritation that he wanted. He was nervous, after all "I'm sorry."

The bunny's ears slumped "I'm sorry too. It's not something I can get past easily."

"It's okay. I'm not upset. Well I am, but not about that. This whole situation sucks."

Judy finished putting on her trousers and straddled to her fox. She pulled him gently down by the tie and gave him a kiss. "Better ?"

"A bit."

"Can you help me find my crutches ?"

"They stayed in the hallway last evening, I'll bring them here."

They were in the midst of spring now, and it was sunny enough so that the two lovers wouldn't need coats. They were enjoying simply walking together in the streets, even though the goal of their walk was far from a happy one.

They entered the part of the city where Scarlet lived and Judy couldn't help but think that it was a gloomy place. Buildings were old, and worn, the streets were dirty, and hobos were sleeping under most porches. It was one of the places where the cops made the fewest rounds. They knew that few things happened, apart from the drug trafficking. They also knew that cops here for too long were bound to draw attention and possibly trouble.

"That's not a really nice neighborhood." She remarked.

"Behold the kind of place where most of us grow up." He answered with a cynical smile. That part of his personality would probably never die.

To be honest, the bunny liked the dark humour her mate could show. In small dose of course, but his dark humour had a way to lit up the darkest situations, even though sometimes, she'd prefer for him to not say anything. But this wasn't one of those time, she was really nervous to meet this Scarlet, and Nick's cynical outlook was a good way to divert her thoughts from it.

Nick helped the bunny climb the stairs to Scarlet's apartment and knocked at the door. A vixen with eyes swollen by tears she had quickly wiped opened the door and ended up face to face with a grey bunny in crutches and red fox with a slinged arm. She frowned.

"What is this ? Some kind of charity ?"

"Hi Scarlet."

Her eyes widened. "You." Nick gave her a sad smile. "It's You !" She quickly stepped ahead slapped him as hard she could.  
The fox had seen it coming, and though his head rang and turned, he didn't move. He heard his bunny gasp but lifted a paw before she could react. Even in crutches, he knew the vixen wouldn't stand a chance.

"Yes, it's me."

She grabbed his collar and held him against the wall behind him. "What the hell are you doing here ? Having my brother killed wasn't enough ?"  
Nick's head slumped a bit, he said nothing.

"You were supposed to protect him you bastard ! He's dead because of you !"

She felt a paw place itself on her arm. "Miss, please calm down."

The vixen turned her head angrily. The bunny had a sad but resolute expression. "Or what ?"

The doe sighed and flashed the badge she always carried with her. "Please."

The vixen slowly let go of the collar. "You're Judy Hopps." She stated. The bunny nodded. The vixen turned back to Nick with wide eyes.

"I owe you an explanation." Said Nick.

"Like hell you do."

"Can we come in ?"

She moved away from the doorframe and motioned them to come in, slamming the door behind them.

"You can sit on the bed."

They did so and the vixen installed herself on a chair. The flat had changed since he had come for the first time, only for one thing, an urn on the table. She stared at Nick for a few seconds and he began talking.

"So, as you have probably figured out, I'm Nick Wilde."

"Yeah, I did." She turned to the bunny. "I'm Scarlet by the way."

"I know, Nick told me about you."

"I guessed as much." She turned back to the fox. "You were undercover, weren't you ?"

"Yes."

"You should have arrested them, the little band my brother worked with. Maybe he'd be alive instead. In jail, but alive."

"I had to get to Lycus."

"I bet you did. What else did you need to do that was so important ?" The anger didn't seem to depart the vixen and so Nick told the story from the beginning to the end. The first shootings, getting undercover, who and how they met, what had happened with Vlad, and everything he had uncovered on Lycus until he finally found his hiding place. He left out Jack and Mr Big though, those were sensitive topics. He recounted how they had found Wilde Times, and how Scarlet's brother had saved his life and that he had ended up killing Bellwether in the firefight. She had guessed it was him, it was the only possibility.

"Don't expect me to thank you for your honesty."

There was short silence during which Nick seemed to collect his thoughts. "Scarlet, I know it won't bring you any comfort, but your brother was a hero. He died saving my life. If I could make it to be the other way around, I would. I'm sorry. If there is anything I can do for you, you just have to ask."

Her gaze was hard on him. "There is nothing I want from you. Is there anything else you need to say ?"

"There is something else. Your brother told me to tell you something."

The vixen slightly lifted her brows "What is it ?"

Nick took an inspiration. Recalling the kid's last moments was painful, but he owed it to Scarlet. He felt Judy's encouraging paw place itself on his arm. "He wanted you to know that you were the best. He was glad to have you as a sister."

The vixen instantly bursted into tears. It seemed the anger was the only thing that had kept her from breaking down during the last few minutes, but now, sadness overwhelmed her. Her shoulders were shaking and she clutched her arms around herself. "Get out."

"Scarlet, I-"

"Get the fuck out of my home !" The cry was filled with more sadness than anger.

The fox and bunny got up from the bed and Nick took out one of his visit cards. He put it on the bed. "If you ever need anything." As an answer she gave him an angry tearful glare. They left the flat and the building in silence.


	5. Bland Coffee, Good Pizza

_**Robert Escher :** But did he really ?  
_

 _ **Foxlover91 :** It was a pending business and there was no way it could go right. Sometimes, life just sucks for everyone.  
I was happy to be able to write about them again. I sometimes feel like I didn't do them justice in Part 2. They were important character for the story but I didn't talk about them much.  
_

 _Apologizes, this chapter is short. But it will be on of the shortest until the end of the story.  
_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 5** : Bland Coffee, Good Pizza  
_

 _End of April 2019_

The fox and bunny got up from the bed and Nick took out one of his visit cards. He put it on the bed. "If you ever need anything." As an answer she gave him an angry tearful glare. They left the flat and the building in silence.

"I'd be up for a coffee." Said the fox out of the blue. His natural expression was back and Judy couldn't see through it. It didn't mean the fox was okay though. They left that sad part of town and found a Stagbuck. Nick had always considered that those places sold a poor excuse for coffee, but this time he didn't really care. They took their orders and sat at table in the back of the room.

The bunny still couldn't decipher the fox's expression so simply asked. "You're not okay are you ?"

Nick gave a light scoff. "I gave it away did I ?"

She put a paw on his. "No, but no one could be okay after this. You want to talk about it ?"

"Is there actually anything to talk about ? You saw everything that happened."

"I want to know how you feel, silly."

"Blackfur, is that you ?" He asked in a joking tone.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to." She said soothingly, having perfectly understood the purpose of his quip.

The fox sipped on his coffee, before speaking again. "I feel like shit, that's what I feel like. I knew it wouldn't be a fun experience, but it was a bit worse than I thought it would be. I mean, she was angry, and she was right to be. If I had refused for the kid to come with me, he'd be alive."

"And you'd be dead." She remarked with a serious expression.

"His life for mine, what a bargain." He answered sarcastically.

"You know I don't believe a life is worth more than another-"

I'm with you on this, except for a few exceptions, grimly thought the fox.

"-but selfishly, yes, I think it's a good bargain. And if he hadn't saved your life, you wouldn't have stopped Bellwether in the end."

"Jack would have."

"You can't be sure of that." She caressed the fox's paw. "You know what was one of the first thing the chief told me ? I mean, after the end of the Nighthowler case, when I came back."

"So definitely not one of the first things." He still was a bit taunting, but less, as he was trying to not vent his feeling of guilt on her.

She gave him an annoyed glance, but kept going. "Do not second guess yourself. Do not fall into the trap of the 'what ifs'. You did things a certain way, and they turned out partly crappy, but mostly okay. You have to forgive yourself."

Nick sipped his coffee again. "You know, it was easier to not let the world know that it got to me before I met you... Or maybe it was because I didn't give a damn back then. Easier to not look like you don't give damn when you really don't."

"You know, it's progress."

"Progress feels like shit."

The bunny scooted around in the booth they were sharing and sat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. She had come to his left, so he could wrap her in his valid arm. She glanced around to see that some mammals in the coffee shop gave them weird glances.

"You think they guessed we're together ?"

"Maybe they're looking at us funny because a fox with a broken arm is hugging a bunny with a broken leg."

"Maybe."

"I could kiss you, to dissipate the doubt."

"I don't think it's a good idea yet."

The fox gave a small sigh "Yeah, you're right." He gave her a discreet peck between the ears which made them instantly stand up.  
"Nick !"

"That was a purely friendly kiss." He smirked.

"Sly fox." She smiled, giving him a light punch in the shoulder.

...

The climb to the cheetahs apartment had been way easier than the one to Scarlet's thanks to the elevator. Clawhauser opened the door a few seconds after Nick and Judy had rung at the door.

"Heyyy guys, how are you doing ? Nick, I heard you got your memories back."

"Yep. I'm me again. How are you big guy ?"

"I'm good. And you Judy, how's the leg ?"

"It's healing. The doctor was a bit worried because of my stunt during the big arrest, but it seems to hold together."

They entered the apartment and were immediately hit by the smell of the cooking.

"Are we having pizza ?" Asked the vulpine.

"Yeah, I'm trying new stuff since I have actually time to cook."

The cat went back to the kitchen accompanied by his two guests when they heard a door open to their left. A half-awake wolf got out of his room only wearing boxers.

"Hi guys." He greeted in a sleepy voice, fist bumping Nick and then Judy. He got across the hallway and entered the bathroom.

"Sheesh, he's even less of a morning mammal than me." Remarked the fox.

"The ZPD's short-staffed, he's pulling eleven hour shifts and it's his only day off. Even though we sustained no casualties, a lot of officers were wounded." Remarked the cheetah.

"What ? The chief said nothing to me about that !" Remarked the bunny, surprised.

The cheetah was checking the pizzas in the oven. They were already half-cooked, he pulled them out and added some ingredients, and then put them back in. "Since Nick isn't undercover anymore, I think he doesn't want you to be working. After all, you were supposed to be on sick-leave to begin with."

"Maybe we could alleviate our colleagues from the paperwork." Proposed the fox. "I hate it as much as you do fluff, but apart for the occasional headache, I feel perfectly capable of using a computer."

"With only one paw ?"

"Beats doing nothing. Besides, if you arrested a mammal with your leg in this state, I can't avoid work in good conscience. Let's go talk to the chief tomorrow."

A few seconds later a way more fresh Wolford came out of the bathroom, he went back to his room to put on his clothes and went back again to the guests. "Good morning... Well, good noon. Hope you're doing fine."

"We are. We heard you were completely swamped at work."

"Yup. It will only be for a few weeks though, the colleagues are slowly coming back to work."

"Wolford, hadn't you been shot a couple of weeks ago ? You're already back in active duty ?"

"The bulletproof vest caught everything, and I suffered only bruises. And a cracked rib. Lucky me. What are we having Ben ?"

The pudgy glanced at the oven. "Classic pepperoni pizza and a, arugula,and asparagus pesto pizza as a vegan option for Judy. I had enough spare ingredients to make a third one in case two pizzas aren't enough. It's sort of a mix of the two. I don't know if it will be as good."  
They set up the table and soon, the pizzas were ready. As always when Ben cooked, the food was succulent.

While they ate, and at everyone's demand, Clawhauser recounted the last week. They knew he had been pretty depressed after having to shoot one of the suspects, and wanted to know if he really was okay. He told how Wolford had called his sister to the rescue and how the chief had come on the same day to check on him, with flowers. It made Nick slightly raise a taunting brow but he said nothing since the cat seemed already pretty embarrassed. He understood why when he told them about the little joke his sister had pulled on him and told them the chief's words. Once again, the fox raised an interested brow but kept his thoughts for himself.  
However, the cheetah kept for himself the shooting-range's events. Those were way too private to talk about, and he didn't want to risk embarrassing the chief.

...

"I can't believe you only eat donuts at work. If I could cook like that, I'd prepare all my meals myself." Remarked Judy.

The cheetah took a third pizza slice. "Well there are several reasons why I don't prepare my meals to go for work. First, there are only a few things that taste as good once reheated in a microwave. Seconds, cooking only for myself is no fun. Third, I love donuts."

"You know Carrots, there is something really satisfying in eating unhealthy, greasy and overly sugary food. The only reason I don't binge on junk-food is because I need to keep my body fit."

"Healthy food is a prey thing." Said Wolford. "They mainly eat vegetable, so I don't think they can really get the appeal of fat on meat."

"I'm sure some preys can." Said the fox while giving a side glance at Clawhauser that no one caught. "But there are a few things I can't explain. How can the chief be so big and so buff while only eating grass."

"Nick !" Protested the cheetah. "The chief doesn't only eat grass."

"There were rumors that he ate the noncomplying suspects for a time." Flatly said Wolford. The three other mammals turned to him. "Not pulling your leg here, he actually used this rumor to make the suspects talk during interrogations. I was a rookie at the time, and it was just before he got the chief position."

"No way."

"Yes way. I asked other older colleagues at the time, he was really pissed at first. But when he saw how effective it could be, he simply did as he didn't know mammals believed it. Got that from MacHorn, the guy is pretty chatty when he's drunk." He looked around to see the surprised faces of his friends. "Of course, you didn't get that last part from me."

They all nodded while Clawhauser went to the kitchen to bring dessert, a chocolate brownie. Nick lifted a brow. "Is it the same kind of brownie that we ate a few months back."

"No, I made that one myself." Answered the cheetah.

"Oh. Too bad, it made for an interesting evening."

"What are you talking about ?" Asked the wolf.

"Well, a few months back, during a movie afternoon, we may have finished a brownie that belonged to you. It had an interesting taste."

The wolf's eyes widened. "So you were the ones that finished my space brownie." His expression turned to embarrassment. "Well, a friend gave it to me, and I couldn't really refuse..."

"Wolford, friends don't just 'give' this kind of stuff." Remarked Judy. "We're not going to tell on you, as long as it doesn't turn into a problem."

The wolf nodded.

"Oh, and I've made a blueberry cake too. I had forgotten Vulpines and Canids could have trouble digesting chocolate."

"In large quantities. I know it could be deadly for our ancestors, but thanks to evolution we can now eat it too. Still makes the digestion tricky, though." said Nick. "But

I'm not big on chocolate anyway."

As the meal before, the dessert was really good. They helped the cat clean the table and the four friends installed themselves on the couch and armchairs.

"Wolford, could you help me get something in my room ?"

"Sure."

They both left, leaving Nick and Judy alone in the living room. "He seems to be okay." She said. "I was a bit worried, I can't imagine how bad he could feel after having shot someone."

"He's the most sensitive mammal I know. Even more than you." Joked the vulpine, which earned him an elbow to the ribs. "I don't know how he was able to take the decision to shoot, but since he saved Wolford and Blackfur, it's a good thing. I just hope he will be able to get past it."

The cat and wolf came back with a large frame covered in kraft paper, around one meter by two.

"What is it ?" Asked Judy.

"Came in yesterday. I haven't seen it yet, I wanted us to discover it together." He quickly but carefully tore away the paper, revealing a painted picture. Judy had to hold back a squeal, but the cheetah couldn't be bothered and squealed away.

"AAAAAAAAWWWW !"

Nick and Wolford chuckled at his reaction while detailing the picture. It was a painting of gazelle wearing a Valkyrie bikini armor, complete with the wings on the helmet, and brandishing her microphone like a sword. One could have commented on the sexism of the picture if there wasn't her back dancers wearing the same type of revealing armor, each holding a different weapon like her personal medieval guard. The background was some kind of medieval landscape, made with flashy colors.

"Wow, Ben, it looks reallly..." Began Judy.

"Gay ?" Proposed Nick.

"I know right !?" Said the cheetah in an overexcited tone.

"I was going to say colorful." Completed the bunny.

"I can't believe you made Finnick paint something like that. What did he say about it ?"

The cheetah chuckled. "To use his own words, he said it was 'more gay 'dan getting' fucked in the ass' but he also said he really liked it."

"Wait, Finnick can paint ?" Asked Judy. "I mean, he can paint this good ?"

"Don't you remember he made the paintjob on his car himself ? Yeah he's good, it's just something he never thought he could use to make a living."

"He's changed his mind about it." Said the cheetah. "He knew you'd see this before he actually could but he kind of wanted to surprise you with his new job. He's making a dozen paintings for an art gallery owned by a friend of my uncle."

"Even Finnick's going legit. What a time to be alive !"

"Is it okay if I hang it in the living room ?" Said the cheetah as he turned to Wolford with eyes full of hope.

"Between us and MacHorn, I'd say you're the only one with some kind of decorative taste. Or interest. Of course, you can hang it here. But don't you want it framed first ?"

"Yeah, I'm just so happy to have it. It's beautiful. I need to call Finnick to thank him and ask him how much I owe him."

"Wait, you didn't talk about the price before ?" Asked the fox, surprised.

"No. I just said him I wanted some Gazelle painting and told him it could be anything as long as she was in the center."

Nick stared at the cat incredulously. It wasn't in the habit of the fennec to not set a price for his work.

"Why don't you call him now ?" Proposed Judy. "So we can all compliment him on his work."

"Good idea." Acquiesced Wolford. "Could you muzzle time him ? I'd be curious to see what this guy looks like."

"Why not. Just so you know, he's a fennec fox. And don't call him adorable."

"There is a little story behind this, isn't it ?"

Clawhauser's face heated a bit. "I don't know what you're talking about. Calling now."

He hit the green button on his phone screen. A fennec fox quickly appeared on the screen. He was wearing a paint stains covered sleeveless jumpsuit.

"Ya, wot is it ?"

"Heeyyyy Fin, I just opened your painting. It's really great."

"Oh, hey chubs. The paintin' ? Oh tha'wos nuthing. Glad you like tho."

The other mammals came into frame. "Hey Fin, how are you big guy ?" Asked Nick.

"Yo' there too ? Nice to see you. And who's the wolf behind ya'll ?"

"The name's Wolford, nice to meet you. I like your painting."

"Ya do, do ya ? I'm making othah's since Ben found somemammal that could be interested in exposin' my work. They'll be for sale if yo' interested."

"By the way." Interrupted the cheetah. "I called you to ask how much I owed you."

The fennec lifted a brow. "You don't owe me nuthin' chubs. You introduced me to yo' friend. The paintin' was payment for yo service."

The cat gave him an embarassed smile.

"Wot is it ?"

"I think Ben is uncomfortable not paying for this painting." Explained Nick. "It's really awesome you know."

The fennec sighed. "If ya really wanna give me something as payment, bring me a case'o beer. Yo mom finally got me to install my workshop in her livin' room yesterday, Nick. If I make enough money, we'll rent sumthin' better. In the meantime, the beer can be brought here. Don't bother buying the cheap elephant's piss. I prefer no beer to bad beer."

"I thought the rule was 'your favorite brand is free, and your second favorite brand is fresh' ?" Taunted Nick.

"Rules are made to be broken, kid. Ya know it better than'me."

The call ended quickly after that and the discussion topic shifted to the life at the precinct while Nick was absent.

...

"… And wouldn't you know it, there was actually a betting pool on when you'd wake up." Said the wolf.

"Figures. Fangmeyer ?"

"Who else."

"Did you know Judy placed a bet too ?" Asked the cheetah.

The fox turned to the bunny whose face heated up a bit. "Did she, now ?"

"Yeah, she bet that you'd be up sooner than anyone had bet."

The fox squinted his eyes with a smile. "That's pretty sly, Carrots, even for me."

"Maybe, but I can't really ask for my prize now. With your cover story." She explained.

"How high did the pool go ?"

"I think around two thousand. In the end it was kind of a 'wishing well' fund." Answered the wolf. "Some officers bet several times as the moment they had bet on passed. In the end, we gave it to the charity that financially helps the spouses of fallen officers."

...

All sitting comfortably in Ben's living room, and the digestion kicking in, they began feeling drowsy.

"By the way, what are you going to say about the bandage you had on your head and your broken arm to our colleagues ? I mean, the ones that didn't know you were undercover." Asked Wolford.

"Simple." Yawned Nick. "I'll say that according to the doctors, I tried to get up just after waking up, got my feet tangled in the sheets and fell on my arm on the floor. And hit my head too."

"Clever. And what about the fact that you're significantly more bulky than before ?"

It was true that despite his two weeks of inactivity, the fox had kept most of the muscle mass he had gained.

"I'll have to wear larger clothes until it melts away. With the job and the injury, It won't last anyway. I'll come back to my leaner, sexier self in no time." He glanced at

Judy but she already had dosed off, her head on his lap. He turned to the others and saw that Ben had done the same on his arm chair.

"Hot spring this year. It makes me sleepy too. And I have hours of sleep to catch up on." Remarked the wolf. "Have fun on the couch, I'm going back to bed."

Wolford left the room and Nick chuckled. She had fallen asleep so quickly. It wasn't that strange, they really had eaten a lot, and he himself felt like taking a nap.  
He moved his legs from under the bunny and wrapped his body and tail around her, careful to not harm his broken arm.

...

Judy woke up slowly, enveloped in warmth but something felt odd. Nick's muscles were tense. She raised her head and looked up to his face and saw his expression. He was obviously sleeping but he had his teeth bared and claws out. Her first thought was to try and wake him up, but she scooted out of his arms first. She didn't want him to involuntarily hurt her, more because he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if that happened, than because she was afraid it could happen.

Sitting at his side, she put a paw on his shoulder and gently shook him while stroking his face. The teeth and fangs slowly disappeared and he blinked a few times.

"Good afternoon."

The vulpine clapped his jaw a few times and looked at his bunny.

"'fternoon"

He looked around him like he was wondering where he was, his gaze coming back to Judy.

"You were tense, are you alright ?"

"Yeah..." The fox closed his eyes with strength. "Yeah. I dreamed of... I can't remember."

"You didn't seem to like it."

"I know it was violent." He looked down at his closed fist, feeling his claws coming out again, digging in his palm. The bunny crawled to him and put her arms around him. The fox gave her back the hug. Instantly, all the stress he was under vanished, she felt it too and it made her smile.

"I needed that more than I thought." He remarked, stroking the bunny's ears.

"You did, yeah."

The couple said goodbye to the pudgy cat and left his apartment to get back to theirs. Tomorrow, they'd go to the precinct and ask the chief to reintegrate them to the force.


	6. Partners in Love

_**Folover91** : I tried to foreshadow it in the early chapters of Part 2.  
I have a manic obsession with setup, and everything that will happen can technically be guessed a few (or lot) chapters in advance. Or at least, that's what I try to do._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 6 :** Partners In Love_

 _Last Day of April 2019_

The moment he had woken up that morning, he knew that it would be a good day. It was strange to him to feel optimistic. He wasn't a pessimist, he knew that much, but he tended to stay pragmatic. He had learnt by now that having set expectations, good or bad, wasn't a good thing. Not in the sense that those expectations could be dashed, even though it was never a good sensation, but in the sense that expectations twisted judgement and altered objectivity. But still, despite the shortage in mammalpower, and the activity that the end of Lycus' case had brought, he felt optimistic.

It was a mood he hadn't felt in a long time. Oh, there were a few times he had felt it in the past years, but the one that came to his mind was old, more than twenty years old.

How old was he at the time, twenty-four, twenty-five ? Less than thirty, he knew as much. The time wasn't important though, it never really was. The important thing was that it had happened.

It was like yesterday, it felt like the right time. He had just been promoted to captain, he'd finally get the wage boost. On one knee in the small kitchen of the flat they were renting, he had taken out the ring he had bought for her with part of the money he had saved. He had chosen one that reminded him of her, simple, sturdy and beautiful. She had immediately loved it and in the year to come, they were married. She was younger than him, still attending engineering school, so it was too soon to have a child. It was when she got her job that he began pursuing the Precinct's One chief position. They set back their plans to have a child.  
More and more he gave more time to his job, with in his mind the idea that when he'd finally get the job he was aiming for, they could finally get what they both wanted.

What he hadn't foreseen however, was that they'd grew apart. The realisation hit him before the first signs of a potential break up. Once again, it reminded him how alike they were, too sucked in their careers to care about each other. He remembered getting home one evening, late, and contrary to the usual, she wasn't already asleep. The discussion that followed was painful, but necessary, and it ended in the most clean outcome. They were done.

He remembered that she cried a bit at what they had lost, and that he was here for her to help her move out.

The memory was bitter, but despite it, he didn't conceive any ill feeling toward her, only the one that he had missed one of the numerous opportunities life had offered him.

But the chief never wallowed in 'what ifs'. He did what he had to do because it had to be done. And today, he felt optimistic. Things were good, and he believed that they would stay so for long. For long enough at least.

He didn't even have to go to roll call, all his officers had already their assignments set, he simply stayed in his office, working on his paperwork and a dossier he had begun working with the mayor. The goal was to reform the ZIA. The report he had asked Nick when he had learnt of the return of his memory had been enlightening. Though the Agency was effective on how it approached and resolved problems, they were too free of responsibilities. The simple fact that a rogue agent roamed free at Mr Big's service was proof of it. He wanted at true cooperation between the ZPD and ZIA instead of the destructive rivalry that was their relation until now. He didn't want to completely shackle them, but in his mind, it needed more damage control.

In any case, his reflexions were cut short when he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." He answered, while his gaze was still turned on the paper on his desk.

He saw two of his officers come in. "Corporal Wilde, Lieutenant Hopps, aren't you both supposed to be on sick leave ?"

They sat on the large chair facing the chief's desk. "It's precisely why we're here chief." Began the fox. "We'd like to reintegrate the force."

"If you have found a way to instantly heal your arm and your partner's leg, I'd instead suggest you to go and collect your Nobel prize."

"Chief, you must have seen in my file that I stopped studying magic when I was thirteen." The fox answered in the same matter of fact tone the chief had used. He felt an elbow in his ribs, meaning he should get back on the topic of their presence. "We know we can't get back on the field, but we can both work behind a desk. We know our colleagues are overworked, if we could alleviate them a bit, we'd like to."

The chief put down his glasses and stared at the two officers. It was true having them as office workers could cut back a bit on the work their colleagues had to do.

And after all why not, having them at the precinct could only boost the troop's morale, and if the public was to learn of it, he knew those two were honest and convincing enough to tell they had proposed to come back themselves.

"Alright, I'll see to give you assignments adapted to the both of you." He reflected on it for a few seconds. He didn't like to admit it, but Nick could prove to be a fine diplomat. The recording he had heard, showed that he was at least a fine actor. "Since officer Wilde can't really use both his hands, I think I'll put him on the front desk, that will give Clawfith a chance to spend more time on the field." He scratched his chin while looking at the bunny. "Officer Hopps, I'll probably send you to give a paw in the different team's paperwork. I know you don't like it, but you were efficient at handling Blackfur's and Wolford's when they went on the field without you." He saw her shoulders slump a bit. First he thought it was the idea of having to handle the paperwork, but he quickly understood the true reason behind it.

"Yes, it means you won't be working together."

"Think you can handle not being stuck to me for a few hours a day, fluff ?" Said the fox, scratching the tip of one of his mate's ears that had slumped back.

"I'll live."

"You can still withdraw your offer to come back to work, I don't want to force you to work when none of you have properly recovered yet."

The offer was kind of tempting, but they knew they couldn't take it without guilt. Putting themselves before their colleagues wasn't really something they could do.

"No sir. We want to get back to work. We can work separately." said Judy, as Nick nodded to confirm what she said.

"I won't push it and give you different hours." Said the buffalo, making the two lovers realise that he could indeed have not made them this favor. "But I have another thing to say to you. I had intended to have this discussion when you'd both be able to get back to active duty." He made a little pause to gather his thoughts before continuing. "There are a few rules about fraternization between agents. Of course being friends, even close friends, is okay. For instance, Wolford, Clawhauser and MacHorn are flatmates and it poses no problem whatsoever. But couples are a different matter. To begin, I'll say that officers with different rank being together is not forbidden, but only if one isn't the direct superior of the other. Which is your case, technically, you work under Judy. Two partners on the force being an item... Well, that is also forbidden."

The two mammals' faces fell.

"In case that were to happen, and it has, there are several solutions. If those two had hidden their relation, like you did, it could end up in sanctions, ranging from temporary dismissal to termination."

The faces fell even more. Judy lifted a finger but the buffalo raised a hoof before she could talk.

"Since nothing bad came out of it, I'm letting it slide. It's been more than two months, there would be no point in punishing you now." And considering the conditions during which I learned about it, I wouldn't have done it anyway. "The next solution is generally to split the partnership and assign those officers other partners. Which would be difficult since you both are the only small mammals at the precinct. For several reasons, a few of them being : car size, image and assignable workload, I can't assign you another partner at this precinct. So another solution would be to send one or the both of you to another precinct where another small mammal officer would be available." There again, he made a pause to gauge the effect of his speech. They were trying to keep straight faces but he could see they dreaded for him to choose this solution. "I simply won't accept to lose two of my best officers to another precinct, so this solution can't be chosen either. I could ask for an officer to be transferred from another precinct to this one, but there is no new recruits that I deem fit to be transferred here for now. So this leave me with only one solution. I know of your professionalism and your implication in this job, but I'll be honest with you, I do not like it. You will remain partners once back to active duty."

Nick and Judy Sighed in relief.

"You are not out of the woods yet. As a matter of fact, what it entails will make your life harder. I can tolerate show of affection in the precinct, it's understandable, as long as it's little, and away from the civilians' eyes. I can't give you any order on how the both of you should act off duty, but if the public learns of your relationship it could mean hell, for you as well as for me, because in doing this, I am covering you. Plus, if you're on the street, during an intervention, or basically anywhere out of the precinct, and in your uniforms, I won't tolerate any misplaced behaviour. And lastly, even though I know it could be one of the hardest thing to ask of you, your work will have to come first when on duty."

The two mammals glanced at each other, unsure of what to say after the speech the chief had delivered. Finally Nick raiser a paw.

"Chief, I know it's not what you want to hear, or what I should say as an officer, but I-"

The cape buffalo raised a hoof again stopping the fox. He then put it back on his desk and scratched his forehead. Maybe not such a good day after all.

"I know one can never be sure that an officer will put his duty first, and to be honest I expect any mammal under my order to find a compromise between their partner's well-being and their duty, and to do the best decision in any given situation. You have nothing to answer to what I just said, simply do your best while on duty. I've seen what it was until now, and you didn't really give me anything major to complain about. Simply keep it up." He waved them away. "Now I have a pile of paperwork to do. I'll have MacHorn work on your affectations, starting next Monday. Don't be late. Dismissed."

While the two mammals left the room, the buffalo stared at his papers, waiting for them to be out to pinch the bridge of his nose. It could have been way worse. For instance, he could have let Nick finish his last sentence, and he could predict what it would have been. 'Chief, I know it's not what you want to hear, or what I should say as an officer, but I simply can't give any guarantee on that'. But if he had let the fox finish that sentence and let things remain as they were, it would have been him, giving an officer his benediction to not give his one hundred percents. He needed to let this sword dangle above them, they couldn't afford to be complacent as long as they remained partners. In truth, he couldn't afford to have any of his officers to be complacent, but, and he hated to admit it, they were a special case. He'd have to keep an eye on them, even if only to keep them from harming themselves.

Was it something he wanted ? No. But he had to be honest with himself. As partners, they had the perfect synergy. Nick could prove to be a loose canon, and Judy knew how to keep him in check. Judy could be too focused on her duty and Nick knew how to help her loosen up. And with their difference in point of view and their way different upbringing, they could come up with a large set of solutions in different situations. Even without being a couple and partners, their performance would go down if he was to separate them. But if things got too intense, if there was another Lycus case, he'd have no hesitation to assign them to different teams.

The chief also felt a bit guilty. His disposition toward those two mammals was an exception. He would never have acted like this toward any other mammal in the precinct and he knew it. Was it because they were the only small mammals in the precinct ? Was it because they were ready to take insane risk to complete their missions and succeed against all odds ? For a few seconds he wondered if he had been a bit unfair by telling them they'd have to put their duty before their companion. After all that was exactly what they had done during the last few months.

Or maybe he cut them some slack because after all, they were the first small mammals at Precinct One. Or maybe even worse : he liked them and was making a bit of favoritism. He hit his desk with his forehead and gave a sigh of defeat. The whole situation was new, they were chaos magnets. Maybe it was what the ZPD needed though. New blood, new outlook on the police duty, new ways of doing things. The chief knew himself to be an immovable oak, set in his ways, which was one of the reasons why he hadn't been able to accept Judy as an officer at first. He gave a new sigh.

Where had this beautiful day gone ?

A stroll. He needed to take a stroll. See if his officers were doing good, if they could need anything.

And worse case scenario, if he was truly making some mistake by letting them be a team, he knew that MacHorn would have no qualm calling him on it.  
So a stroll. A nice mind clearing stroll. Right this second. First stop, front desk.

...

"Well, that was a nice conversation." The fox glanced down at his mate and to the concerned expression she had. "Hey Carrots ? Are you okay ?"

"Can we go home ?" She asked in a meek voice.

 _Oh boy._

"Of course we can."

The walk from the precinct was silent. Observing his mate, Nick saw that she had a lot on her mind, thinking hard on what the chief had said. They finally arrived and she went straight for the couch, sitting in a reflective state. He joined her, simply wrapping her in his tail.

"You okay, Fluff ?" She nodded, lost in her thought and the fox sighed. Not okay. "Need time to think ?" She gave half-shrug. The fox scooted closer, grabbing the blanket that always sat on the couch. He then proceeded to wrap them in it while at the same time wrapping himself around her. "You need a hug." It wasn't a question but she nodded again. "I'm not moving from here, so if you need to talk about this, I'm here, alright ?" As an answered, she buried her back in his chest.  
She didn't move for several minutes as the fox lovingly stroke her ears. What the chief had said was on his mind to, and he was trying to untangle it. It wasn't that complicated, but it had implications. Implications that the two mates needed to talk about. And so he waited for her to open up, which was strange considering how their roles were reversed on this.

"Nick ?"

"Yeah, Fluff ?"

"Can we talk about this ?"

"Depends, does it mean we have to break the hug ?"

"I'm afraid we must."

The fox gave an over-dramatic sigh and the bunny scooted away to face him. The blanket fell down.

"I don't see a solution to this." She declared.

"There is no solution to find. We remain partners, we do our work like we did before."

"The rules are there for a reason. I know I wouldn't act toward you as I would if we weren't a couple."

"The only difference in us being a couple, is that we won't conceive any frustration in our dating life. My feelings would still be there if we weren't dating."

"Don't you think it's wrong that we are mates and partners on the force ? Maybe we should ask the chief and have a transfer for one of us."

"You're right, I'll ask him to send me to Sahara Square. Always loved the heat." He said, deadpan.

"I'm serious."

The fox scooted toward Judy to be a little closer and took her paws. "Why don't you tell me why you're so bothered by this ?"

"The rules-"

"Forget the rules for five minutes alright. You know what I think about rules."

The bunny sighed, letting her ears slump down. "I'm afraid that despite the chief's warning, I'll never be able to put aside the fact that I love you while on the job."

"And you think it's bad ?"

"Of course it is ! I'm a cop. I have a duty toward the city and its citizens ! I know that if we ever find ourselves in danger, my first reflex will be to help you before helping the civilian."

The fox chuckled. "You're not giving yourself enough credit, Judy."

"It's not funny."

"Yes it is. But not for the reason you think. You get emotional, it's true, and it's an important part of you, hell, it's one of the innumerable reason why I love you. But I know that you don't let your judgement be clouded by emotions. I trust you to be the one to push us to always do the right thing."

"I'm not that strong."

"Yes you are, you dumb bunny." He said booping her nose. "But there is another solution to this problem."

"No."

"You don't even know what I'm going to say."

"You're going to say that you could resign."

"Okay, you're right. But it's still a solution."

"How is it different to you being transferred elsewhere or given another partner ?"

"Well, I would spend way less time in the face of danger. One of the reason why I don't like the idea of use being partnered up to another mammal, is because I wouldn't be there to protect you."

"Yeah, same here. But you can't stop being a cop. I know you became one for the wrong reasons, but you like it. Right ?" She asked a bit worried.

"At first I didn't, not that I hated it but, it was just a job... But it grew on me. I love the face some mammals do when they see a fox show his badge. Always priceless. I'm kind of a symbol too, first fox officer, I can't really quit anymore. And I get to help people, which is… Well, it's something I really do like. I can make a difference."

"Yeah, it's a nice feeling isn't it ?." The bunny's head slumped again. " But we're back to square one. Not solution to our current problem"

"You worry too much Judy."

"I don't."

"Judy, you're a cop to the bone, I don't see how us being partners change anything. Well I see, but I don't think it's bad. And would you want anyone else as your partner ?"

"It's not about what I want."

"Alright, let me rephrase it : Do you believe that we could be as good with anyone else as partners ?"

"I don't know, I don't think so. And it's currently not a possibility anyway."

"So there you have it, the best for this city is for us keep working together. Case closed."

She let herself fall, spinning to get on her back, head in his lap. "It's not that simple. There are lots of things that could happen. And if the public learns of it..."

"Judy, they will end up knowing about it. The best we can hope is that it's a long way from now and that nothing bad happens in between. And if something does happen, we'll have other things to worry than what other think about us."

"I don't want to spend my life hiding our relationship. I want for us to get married-"

"Hey ! I was supposed to propose you !"

"It wasn't a proposal, it was a statement. And I want to maybe have kids. It's not something we can do if we have to hide the fact that we're together. I can accept it as a temporary solution and nothing else."

The fox's eyes widened, he wanted to reassure her but in doing so, he had lost sight of those two things. Marriage and kids.

"Temporary solution it is. And we're a bit early in our relationship to think about those anyway." She nodded. "Selfishly, I'd like to work as your partner a bit more, I feel like I didn't get enough of you those last few months, and the desk job will not provide enough of that."

"To be continued then ?"

"To be continued." He nuzzled her ear. "Could we get back to cuddling ?"

"Do you even have to ask ?" She said, grabbing the blanket and wrapping it back around them.


	7. A Party Contest

_**Foxlover91** : Well most of their friends will be, really. Most of them already know. And those who don't aren't blind._

 _This chapter has been corrected and edited thanks to the help of **Lord of Hentai**._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 07** : A Party Contest_

 _Middle of July 2019_

He was so excited, well, that wasn't all that surprising, considering his love for hosting an event like this. He had sent multiple invitations, and knew that enough of his colleagues would come and the few that wouldn't would see the pictures and videos later. He went through the list of guests he knew would be there. Wolford, Blackfur, Fangmeyer, Delgato, Snarlov, Rhinowitz and of course Nick and Judy. He had invited officers from other precincts of course, but since few knew of the reason he had organized the festivities, he couldn't really be sure they all would come. According to his calculations, there would be between ten and twenty guests. Far from the biggest party he had ever put in place at his place.

He had spent most of the afternoon preparing the festivities. Punch bowls, salad, snack… basically a whole lot of options in drinks and food.

He had put his expensive record player and record collection in his room, knowing that sometimes, drunk mammals could be clumsy.

Wolford was silently humming a tune, happy that his work day would soon be over. He was one of the few to know why this party had been organized and was looking forward to the revelation. He'd have to make it quickly to his flat to change into his party clothes and help Clawhauser to finish the preparations.  
He glanced at Blackfur, she too knew about it. He could see it at how she was smiling. In the past few months their friendship had evolved into something special. He sometimes got teased by his colleagues, especially Nick and Fangmeyer, on how close they were. The wolf didn't mind, knowing exactly where he stood with the panda. They were friends. Really close friends. Nothing more, of that he was certain.  
By his own nature, as an omega, he always had trouble forming real and deep bonds with others, not that he had ever felt lonely. This close friendship was simply something new.

She felt strange going to second party in less than a year. Despite her ability to understand and see through most mammals, the panda wasn't an overly social mammal. Not in the sense that she fled social interaction, she simply wasn't a party mammal, and didn't really like large gatherings. But this party didn't feel like a chore, she would be going with friends.  
Since the end of the case, and the moment she had left Judy's apartment she had felt a bit lonely. Her new place was way better than the one she had rented before, but it felt empty since she was the only presence in it. Maybe she'd find another larger place and a flatmate. She'd ask Wolford but she knew how cheap his place was thanks to Clawhauser.  
Still, he was the only one she knew she could imagine as a potential flatmate. The wolf was beyond nice, and though she knew of the teasing he got from the others about it, he, in only a few months, had become her best friend.

He was a happy mammal today. Usually, his wife could be a bit pushy about him staying home after work, but this time she had not complained a bit. She knew how important the gatherings with his colleagues were. With the current pressure schedule and pressure from work, they didn't always have time to really get together, and the parties were a nice respite. Plus he bonding that resulted was important for morale.  
When they were younger, Fangmeyer and his wife had been quite the party mammals, but now he preferred more quiet, and relaxing evenings. And aside from the surprise that was announced, he knew what he was getting into. A rather wild party.  
And he if he played his cards right, he'd be able to start a drinking contest. Sure there would be a chance to make or lose a few bucks. But he was confident that they'd all get a good laugh out of it.

Delgato felt a bit guilty. It was unusual for him to have a free evening and when he did, he liked to spend it with his family. It was his wife that had pushed him to go. She had even helped him dress up, choosing clothes that were 'nice but not too classy'. The perks of having a mate working at a clothing store.  
To be honest, part of him wanted to stay at home, there was nothing more that he wanted after a long day of work than to be at home and have a nap. But he had to go. His colleagues would be here and Fangmeyer, his partner, would never let him hear the end of it if he missed whatever the 'announcement' was, even if he had a faint idea of what it was going to be.  
And with a bit of luck, he'd be able to bait Fangmeyer into a drinking contest. Despite his big mouth, the tiger never could handle his liquor.

Snarlov was a bear, and as such, he was not an especially social mammal. Despite this, he always looked forward to ZPD parties. It was nice to be among colleagues while off duty.  
Not that he'd socialize much, he usually stayed on the sidelines, looking at mammals mingle.  
Usually there was someone that would come to him and ask if he was bored but he really wasn't. It was his way to spend time around others, alone but not lonely.  
And knowing the crowd, Fangmeyer would try to put up some kind of wager, a drinking contest maybe. And no one could drink like bears. Not even elephants, even if Pennington and Trunkaby liked to pretend the opposite.

Rhinowitz was rather solitary and enjoyed the tranquility it offered. But when there was a ZPD party, he would try to attend and make the best of it.  
He wasn't big on gossiping or even talking for that matter. But if the food was good and the booze fresh, he wouldn't have any reason to complain. And after all, he had nothing against the mammals that would be present.

Hey, he already knew how the evening would end for him. In a corner, side by side with MacHorn, a beer in hand, without swapping a word. Yes, he would make the most of this party.

Nick felt that Judy was especially bouncy, not that he could blame her. Last week she had gone back to the hospital a last time and had finally got the news she wanted : she was fit for duty. Well, at least her knee was, because she had a lot of training to do to get back to full strength.

Considering how hard those last months had been hard for her and how she thoroughly hated her desk job, He was glad to see her in that mood.

And to top it all of, they would soon be celebrating her return to work with their close friends from work. But still, he liked her in her bouncy mood. He knew she would be the one to push the most reluctant mammals onto the dancefloor, helped by Clawhauser of course. There would be a few that would absolutely not join in on this activity, like MacHorn or Rhinowitz for instance, which was a good thing considering their weight.

Judy could see the fleeting little smile the fox had kept the whole day. She knew it was partly his reaction at her mood, but also at the perspective of the party. He'd never say it to them, but he really loved to spend time with all his colleagues, even the less chatty ones. He often had one way conversation with Rhinowtiz, doing the questions and the answers, which seemed to annoy the rhino, but not as much as he wanted others to believe.

She liked how the fox had easily adapted to the ZPD life. Or maybe he had adapted the ZPD life to himself. Probably a bit of both.

She was happy to be finally cleared for duty, but she had a lot of training to catch up on, and even if the chief had given her his go at getting back on the street, she didn't feel physically ready. But it wouldn't stop her anyway, she'd simply have to get back into shape fast enough. No more cute Judy, back to lean and fit Judy.  
What she felt a bit less happy about, was that Nick had been able to back on the field a month ago and had refused. She knew that he didn't like the paperwork, but he knew the wait would be even worse for her if he was back on the street without her. And for him, it wouldn't have been the same.

Unsurprisingly, the first one to arrive had been Wolford, quickly followed by Blackfur. The last of the preparations were done and they hung out around the large table full of food the cheetah had put up. Unlike Blackfur, the two males had a hard time keeping themselves from digging in, so it was a relief when the first wave of guests arrived.

In no time at all, the room filled with at least twenty more guests who all quickly began to mingle. Overall more mammals than the cat had anticipated, though it was a pleasant surprise. Some of them were looking at Finnick's art with an interested eye.

It was fun to hear about the stories from the different precincts, and to see that most officers were working as hard as them. Those parties were also occasions to learn about the other precinct's work. For instance, recently there had been a drug bust in canal district. They had been tipped off by a white bear, and had stumbled upon a large shipment belonging to a certain Vladimir Zimovitch. As per usual in Sahara Square, the trade of hallucinogenic cactus was fluctuating. There had been a recent fox disappearance in Savannah central, the officers were confident in their lead to find him, and a suspect in a Lycus related case had disappeared from a hospital in Tundratown.

Like most party the Clawhauser held, the atmosphere was lively yet low-key. Yet like most parties, you never could be certain what it would eventually devolve into. He could fondly remember, years ago, how a drunken Fangmeyer had gotten a hold of a microphone and twisted it into a very drunken karaoke. His only regret was that he hadn't gotten the chief to pick up the mike.

Looking at his phone, he saw that it was almost time for the surprise. He went and fetched Judy and Nick. The fox had put back on his arm brace as a symbol, to accompany his mate onto the improvised scene with their ploy, which was nothing more than a table with a chair as a footstool.

The two small mammals climbed up and onto the table, while the cat turned off the music. Everyone turned to them and the bunny tapped the microphone.

"Hello ? Can everyone hear me ?"

"Yeah !" "Yes." " We can" Came a chorus from all over the room.

"Good, good. Nick and I have an announcement to make." She gave the microphone to the fox and began unstrapping her leg cast while he did the same with his arm cast, letting the objects fall to the floor. He then gave her back the microphone.

"We're returning to the field." She announced.

It was the felines' idea, to try and improve morale. Despite things improving as of late ofr the ZPD, and underlying tension was still present. Knowing that the heroes of Zootopia were back on active duty could only have a positive impact. And the gods knew that after the whole Lycus debacle, everymammal needed a little pick-me-up. With a bit of luck, those who had recorded the scene would upload it on Zootube, where it would be seized by the public as a good omen.

A collective roar of celebration, even from those that had never worked with them, filled the room. The cheetah winced, feeling that his neighbors wouldn't be too happy about it. The enthusiasm died down slowly, and when finally a relative calm came back they could hear a taunting voice.

"Talk about a dud. I thought they'd finally announce they were together."

The room suddenly fell silence, and all head turned slowly to the one that had said it. Delgato seemed to try and slowly scoot away from Fangmeyer who was cooly downing his drink, giving the stage an innocent side glance.

"I wouldn't want to make you jealous, kitty cat." Immediately shot back the fox. He couldn't leave this remark hanging, otherwise, it would be like an admission. And it was too soon to go public. The remark earned a few laughs.

"You wish, Wilde."

"Oh no, I don't. I wouldn't dream of becoming an obstacle between you and Delgato." And second wave of laughter shook the room, and the two lovers used the distraction to sneak away from the stage.

"Catastrophe averted, well played." Remarked Judy. "Not very subtle though."

"Yeah, well, I was a bit shaken by that. I'll do better next time."

"Let's hope there won't be a next time."

Nick made a quick double sidestep and reappeared with a couple of glasses. "Let's drink to that."

And they did. The party continued, a notch crazier than it had started. At one point, Fangmeyer jumped on a table, brandishing a bunch of banknotes. "Who think they can drink me under the table ?" Already a bit tipsy, Clawhauser didn't protest and the contestants gathered themselves around the table. It was a good thing most guest had brought a bit of food and alcohol, because otherwise, there wouldn't have been enough of it.

"Not participating Nick ?" Asked the tiger.

"I'm smaller than your leg. And it's a contest against your whole body."

"You can play as a tandem with Judy if you want." He proposed.

"Pass." Said the bunny with a smile.

"You two are no fun."

Judy was surprised to see Rhinowitz staying on the sidelines. Despite his discreet nature, he usually didn't stay away from a contest he could win. She was however very surprised to see Blackfur and Wolford around the table.

Nick and Judy installed themselves a bit away, on the table that had been a stage, to observe the contest. Around the table were Fangmeyer, Delgato, Blackfur, Wolford, Snarlov and a couple of others from other precincts. A moose, a buffalo, and a very large badger.

"A shame the chief isn't here. He would drink them all under the table." Remarked Nick.

"I'm not so sure." Chimed in Clawhauser, who had silently installed himself near them. "He's not a big drinker." The cheetah looked at those who had started to drink more seriously. "I'm going to get some buckets."

Nick and Judy went to help him and found that he had quite the stack of them.

"That's quite the collection. It take it this has happened here before." Nick questioned.

The cheetah giggled

"Far from it."

"They must have made quite a mess if you bought so many in advance."

"The first time, I had to have the room recarpeted." Simply stated the feline.

"Oh my gosh !" Judy grimaced in disgust. "And you're letting them do it again?"

"Well, that was the first time, and I don't want to spoil the fun."

"But who had to clean it up, let alone pay for it?" Judy asked in shock.

"Oh they all did, on both counts," the cheetah chuckled before freezing, "Wait, if Snarlov is participating, maybe we should tarp the floor too."

"What, he's a messy puker ?" Asked the fox with a smile mixed with disgust.

"No, but the mammals that try to follow him tend to be." Smiled the feline.

The participants were kind enough to pause the game while buckets were distributed and the tarps were installed. And they agreed that any expenses incurred from the game would come from half of the winner's gain. Once everything was set up, it could really begin.

Slowly but surely, the mood around the table changed. At first, it was rather cheery. Wolford's smile was goofier than ever. Without any warning, the badger fell from his chair. "I'm the biggest drinker in my family but those guys are craz-" he had to stop talking and put his head in the bucket, one of the guest was kind enough to escort him to the bathroom.

"First blood !" Shouted Nick, which made Judy giggle.

The next to fall was Fangmeyer. Well not exactly fall. He looked at his beer with disgust before declaring with a smile. "Delgato, sometimes I really have shitty ideas."

"Then why do you always follow through with them ?" The two feline bumped fist as the Lion downed his seventh drink. "Piss break soon !" He announced.

Two of the participants nodded and abandoned at the same time, extending paws and shaking them. It was Wolford and the moose. "We may be defeated, but we're still standing !"

"What an achievement..." Taunted Snarlov who didn't look tipsy at all.

"Do whatever you like, my big friend, but I'd actually prefer to walk home, rather than crawl." Smiled Wolford.

"Don't you live here ?"

"I do. But like me, my point still stands." Answered the wolf with a wide smile, going to place himself behind Blackfur to cheer for her.

"Piss break !" announced Delgato standing up. He must have done it a bit too quickly because he lept to his bucket and emptied his stomach in it. "Carrots." They heard him mumble. "Why is there always carrots ?"

After they all came and emptied their bladder it was time to resume this little championship. It was actually fun to look at each participant and look at how they handled their booze. Snarlov looked fairly okay but he blinked a bit more than usual, the buffalo looked like he was trying to chase an nonexistent bee flying around his head, and Blackfur's eyes were smaller than usual, and had the beginning of a drunken smile.

The buffalo finally caved in, falling forward and hitting his head against the table. "I'm still there ! Still the- Oh gods !" He fell on his knees just above his bucket and puked all he had eaten and drunk during that evening.

"Piss break !" Announced Snarlov, getting up. Wolford helped Blackfur get up and walk.

"Are you sure you don't want to give up." He asked. Still smiling she shook her head.

The two ursine were now facing each other, drunken gaze locked.

"What do you say we move up to something a bit more fun ?" Proposed Snarlov.

"Why not. The sooner you roll under the table the better." The panda shrugged.

"Haha ! Perfect !" He turned to Clawhauser. "I brought some bottles that I put in your freezer. Can you bring them please ?"

The cheetah nodded, left and came back with three bottles. They didn't wear any label.

"Everyone take a shot to bring us luck !" Said the polar bear while opening the first bottle. Most mammals were curious and brave enough to try it.

It wasn't a stiff drink. It was frozen hell.

"How much alcohol is there in this ?" Asked the moose that had accepted to try the beverage, while a tear slowly ran down his cheek.

"I don't know, I'd say around fifty percent. Try it warm if you want to truly feel the burn." He answered with a toothy grin.

Three shooters later and the two ursine still hadn't given up. The panda actually looked better than she did a few drinks ago.

"I thought pandas couldn't hold their drinks." Taunted Snarlov.

"I thought polar bears could." She answered in the same tone.

"Oooooooh snap !" Came Fangmeyer's voice. The rest of the room was shaken by laughter and one could even hear a howl or two.

"It's going to be like that, Wight ?"

"Better believe it, Rudin."

Wolford's eyes widened in surprise.

"Nick, I think Blackfur is completely drunk." Judy said, turning to her mate with worry.

"And I'm so not missing this !" He replied, phone in paws, filming the whole scene.

"Nick !" She elbowed him.

They were facing each other, fists tightly closed.

"Alright. Time to get serious." And the polar bear got rid of his shirt. "It's getting too hot in here."

They downed another shot. Judy had only sipped in Nick's glass and she wondered how they could actually keep drinking that. The fox himself hadn't finished his glass.

Fifth shot and the panda blinked a few times. "You're right Rudin."

"What, This panda can't handle her alcohol ?"

"No. It's getting too hot in here." And she got rid of her own shirt, which triggered another round of laughs, accompanied with whistling and howling. Wolford clapped his paws on his face and rubbed it. Guess he was sleeping on the couch and her in his room that night.

Judy went from slightly rosy to red in less than a second.

"This is gold. And I'm not saying gold-plated, but actual twenty-four karats gold !"

"Nick stop filming !" She said, trying to take the phone from his paw.

"Oh no fluff. It's for posterity. I won't make it public, but maybe she'll have a new wallpaper on her computer soon."

The first bottle was empty, and they had attacked the second. Snarlov didn't seem so sure about winning now, he looked like he was just about to pass out. Or puke. Or both. But the panda didn't seem far behind him. She extended her arm in what seemed like the biggest effort of her life, grabbing the bottle and filling both their glasses. She raised her drink and downed it. The polar bear looked at his own glass unsure, but the cocky smile she gave him made him down it too. Bad decision. His face turned red, blue, green and he filled his own puke bucket.

A last roar of applause exploded, Wolford raising the panda's arm. From the other she took her bucket and vomited in turn.

"It's not gold. It's platinum !"

"Nick !"

"Think Finnick could make a painting out of that ?"

"Nick !"

"What ? Paintings make nicer gifts than computer wallpaper."

"Where is your empathy ?"

"You're right, I need to think of my fellow officers. Sharing is caring" He replied with a sly grin.

"Dont you dare !"

"Aaaand… Sent. Hopefully our colleagues won't be too mad they missed that first paw."

The bunny pinched the bridge of her eyes. "I can't believe you."

The fox gave her a peck between the ear which earned him a punch in the shoulder.

Wolford helped a drunken and giggly Blackfur up, a state no one here had ever seen her in before She stumbled a bit and fell on her paws with a snort. The wolf put his head under her shoulder and helped her up again, glad he hadn't drunken that much and was in possession of most of his strength.

There wasn't a lot of cleaning to do afterwards. The people that were sober enough helped clean up. As he had foreseen, Wolford gave his bed to a completely drunk Blackfur.

It was around 2 when most mammals had left, Judy and Nick saying goodbye to the cheetah before leaving too.

...

The air was fresh but not very cold. Walking on the street side by side, they leaned against each other. They wouldn't have a lot of occasions to safely express their affection outside of their own home.

"Why don't we have a stroll, I always liked being out at night." Said the fox.

"You're a nocturnal predator, the night is kind of your thing. But I'm not tired yet, so why not." She said with a smile, happy to be out and without her brace. It was a thing on which the doctor Procyon had heavily insisted, despite the fact that her knee had technically healed for two months, he didn't want her to take any risk, and had restricted her physical training to specific exercises, and had forbidden her to not wear the articulated brace outside of those moments.

"You're taking us somewhere aren't you ?"

"What makes you think that ?"

"It's not your strolling pace."

"You know me way too well Carrots." He said before stopping. "But not well enough. we're already there."

She looked around her and didn't recognize the place until she looked up and saw the sign dimly lighted by a nearby streetlamp. "Jumbeaux's Café." She turned back to him with an interrogative gaze. She saw him, a knee on the floor.

"Oh gods."

"The first time I saw you, I knew I wouldn't be able to get rid of you." The bunny felt her throat tighten and tears coming up. "I didn't know at the time, that it was because I'd never want to let you go." More tears, she felt her paws shake. "So I hope you'll never let me go either."

"Never." She gasped silently, the first tears welling.

He took out a little box and opened it. "Judith Laverne Hopps, would you be willing to marry this sly fox ?" He opened the box. Inside was a flat open ring. She could see two little gems embedded at each side of the open part.

"Yes. Yes I do." She answered with a big bright smile.

The fox slid the ring on her finger and it fit perfectly. Turning her gaze from the ring she buried her now tear streaked face into his shirt. The fox hugged her in turn, stroking her ear. When she was able to finally stop crying tears of joy, she turned her head on the side to look at her ring. The two gems were amethyst and emerald.

"Only you could turn a puking contest into a marriage proposal."

"Thanks." He said, kissing her head.

"How did you get my finger size right ?"

"Natural fox slyness. I took a picture of you hand next to a ruler while you were sleeping. It took a few attempts. Do you like it ?"  
"I love it. It's steel, isn't it ?"

"Yeah, I know you're not really into jewellery so I chose something sturdy. According to the jeweller, you could punch a rhino in the horn with it."

"Nice. You know how many rhinos I punch in a week."

"And you can turn it to have the gem on the inside to make it more discreet."

She turned her face up. "That's perfect."

"I didn't think you'd settle for less."

She put herself on the tip of her toes and kissed him. "I never did."


	8. Back on Duty

_**Foxlover91 :** I'm a complete sucker for romantic moves. Of course it was going to be sweet._

 _ **Cemsay :** Of course it will be nice and easy. I'm not known to put my characters through the grinder._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 8** : Back on Duty_

 _ **Middle of July 2019**_

Like every roll call, the officers were horsing around before the chief came in. Nick was taking part, throwing back the paper balls he had received a few seconds ago, when the chief entered.

"Atten-hut !" Came MacHorn's deep voice. Immediately the room calmed down.

"Assignments. Wolford, Blackfur, You're south of Downtown, there are rumors about a disappearing fox. I want you in civilian clothes trying to find names and faces."

The two partners took the file and left. "Pennington, Higgins, you'll complement the security staff at Dry River Park's on the circus parking lot. Your Colleagues at Sahara

Square will tell you more. Hopps, Wilde, you're at the Downtown market. Reports on pickpockets have risen those past few weeks. I want it to stop."

"Aye aye sir."

"And I want to see you in my officer at 5PM at the end of your shift. Dismissed."

As the two mammals left the room they came across Clawhauser that seemed to go in the chief's office direction.

"You're going to see the chief ?"

"Yes. He told he needed to talk to me."

"Alright then. Have fun." Said the fox. None of the bunny or cheetah missed the joke, being called in the chief's office was rarely fun.

...

The two partners were strolling down the street, keeping an eye on the civilians in the street market. Judy liked Downtown market, it reminded her of the sundays at the burrows, where all the farmers sold and showed off their products. It was a bit different there since most of the sellers were in fact resellers, but she could see they knew and loved the products spread on their stalls.

The whole situation sent a thought in her mind. It wandered from the market to the burrows and to her family.

"Nick !"

She whispered, loud enough so that he'd be the only one to hear him.

"Yes ?" He asked in the same town.

"I have bad news."

"What ?"

"You'll have to ask my father for my paw."

The fox grinned. "I don't see how it's bad news."

"My parents seem to have adjusted to the idea, but I don't know if they truly are."

"Strangely, I think the main obstacle will be your mother."

The doe sighed. "Whatever this obstacle will be, please put on your best behavior."

"Oh, fluff, you know I'm always on my best behavior."

"484."

The fox blinked and looked where she was pointing. "484 Indeed. Pursuit ?"

The bunny didn't even answer to him, instead she went and tapped the side of the raccoon that had just made disappear a wallet that didn't belong to him in his pocket. "Sir please give back this wallet to its owner and follow us-"

He immediately turned and made a swipe at her. She jumped back, easily avoiding the attack ready to evade from another, but the mammal had already started

running. The fox passed her running too. "Theft, attack on an officer of the law and refusal to comply. He's going to get it." He sang under his breath.

He heard a light tap behind him and the bunny bolted before him. "Tell me about it."

The raccoon only had slight head start, but he made up for it by passing under stalls. The two officers separated around them, not wanting to disturb them more. After the first stunt Judy had pulled on her first day on the force, she tried to avoid public destruction.

They lost track of him a couple of times but he mostly went in a straight line, getting out of the market and in alley ways.

"In the name of the law, stop." Shouted Judy on his heels and almost out of breath.

 _Not in top shape yet._

The next street took a sharp turn in had a dirt ground. He went to a stop which made the bunny skid and get ahead of him. She turned and received a handful of dirt in the eyes, rendering her blind. Next thing she knew, a paw yanked her by the ears and rose her just enough so that only her toes touched the flour.

"Not another step or the bunny gets it !"

Nick stopped to see the raccoon in front of him holding his partner by the ears and a switchblade to her neck.

"Dude, really ?" Said the fox in a sarcastic tone, while unholstering his tranq-gun.

"I'm not kidding, let me go or I'm gonna do it."

The fox lifted a brow. "Put the knife down, get on your knees and paws behind your head."

"I'm gonna do it ! Look, she's shakin' and cryin', she believes it. And you should too."

Nick looked at Judy. She was indeed shaking and crying. Shaking with rage, which was never a good thing for the mammal who was the target of that particular feeling, and crying to get rid of the dirt in her eyes.

"Take it easy, please." Said the fox while holstering back his tranq-gun.

"I'll do what I wa-"

"Not talking to you."

"Wha-"

The bunny spinned her hips which brought her face to face with the raccoon. In a smooth motion, she took her baton out and knocked the blade from her attacker's paw. The pain made him let go of her ears. She landed perfectly and while the raccoon was cursing in pain, she launched herself feet first in his jaw. The criminal took off and landed on his back.

"She never listens to me." Jokingly lamented the fox while taking out the ziplocks he carried in stead of cuffs and checking the unconscious mammal. He wasn't completely out, but knocked enough so that the fox had no trouble cuffing him. Nick snorted. If his mate had been in top shape, the poor guy's jaw would've been dislocated.

"Still blind here." Said the bunny, trying to rub away the dirt in her eyes.

"Coming." Said the fox, dragging the raccoon with him. He took out a handkerchief. "Try not to blink." He held her eyelid open and gently helped her.

"Did you call in for the package ?"

"Nah, I thought we could bring him ourselves. You okay ?"

"Apart from the dirt in the eyes, yes. A bit insulted that he thought I was shaking with fear, though."

"Better to be underestimated by criminals. You really hate being yanked by the ears do you ?"

She blinked a few times, her vision had come back. She gave him a hip bump. "Depends by whom."

"No flirting on the job, officer." Joked the fox. "Could you please bring the cruiser here while I hold on to this lowlife criminal ?"

"Sure thing officer Slick." She took the wallet from the raccoon's pocket. "I'll give back the content of the wallet to the owner and ask them to come make a deposition. Be back in a bit."

She was taking her sweet time. The raccoon had tried to escape twice. Once when a civilian had proposed a nice warm cup of coffee to the fox while he was waiting, which he accepted, and second when he had taken out his phone to trump the boredom.

"You've just been beaten by a blind bunny. I'm a fox in possession of all his senses. You should really calm down." He had said after the second time. The cuffed mammal thought about it and followed the advice. What Nick didn't say was that he genuinely believed that a blind Judy was more proficient in paw to paw combat than a seeing Nick.

Finally he took out his radio.

"Wilde to Hopps. I'm growing roots here. It's been half an hour already, did you decide to taste all the carrots in the market ?"

Just as he finished his sentence, the cruiser stopped near him. "At last. Up you go buddy, time to enter the cruiser. And it seems you're going to have a seat mate." He pushed the raccoon inside, careful to keep him from hitting his head. He then took the front passenger seat.

"You arrested someone without me ?" He asked while putting his seatbelt.

"Yep."

"A capybara ? What did he do, walk too slowly ? Felony of being too chill ?" He joked.

"Ooooh, speciesism coming from you ? No, he was eating food from the stalls without paying."

Nick turned around to look at the mammal. "Is that true buddy ?" He looked at the large rodent. The guy wasn't looking like a hobo, but wasn't dressed too nicely. He looked very tired though.

"I was hungry." He said in a slow voice.

"Did he give you trouble ?"

"No, I asked him to come with me and he just did. I'm not sure he even understands what's happening."

"Completely stoned." Remarked the fox. "If eating food is the worst crime stoned mammals can do, it's a wonder how weed is still illegal."

The bunny gave him a glare. "Could you refrain from saying this kind of stuff in front of suspects ? Or civilians for that matter."

"Sorry Carrots." He said. Her tone had been a bit too dry, but he guessed she was still angry about the ear-yanking.

...

The afternoon was paperwork and deposition taking. The deer that had his wallet stolen pressed charge against the raccoon, but the merchants didn't against the capybara. It was only a few vegetables, and they didn't see the point for only a loss of a handful of bucks.

"Sorry if I was a little cold in the car."

"No problem, I shouldn't have said that in front of civilians anyway."

She nodded getting down from her seat.

"You know what the chief wanted to talk to us about ?"

"Nope, he just asked us to be in his office at 5PM."

The bunny glanced at her phone. "Time to go then." She said while getting down from her seat.

"Are you not forgetting something ?"

"Am I ?"

The fox went toward her and leaned to give her a kiss. "You were."

She kissed him back. "Silly me."

They quit their office and went to the stairs. To do so they had to pass near the front desk. Behind it, they found a gloomy cheetah.

"Hey, Clawhauser, what's happening to you ?"

"Oh ? Nothing. I'm fine. Everything's fine." He said in a sad voice, his gaze fixed on the desk.

"Ben ?"

"Hm ?"

"Why are you so sad ?"

"I'm not sad. I'm okay. Don't you have a meeting with the chief ? You shouldn't make him wait."

Nick and Judy looked at each other. He was right, they had to go.

"See him afterwards ?" Asked the fox as they went away.

"Of course." She answered.

A few seconds later they were in front of the chief's office, knocking at the door.

"Come in."

They did and found the chief behind his desk, but he wasn't alone. Mayor Swinton was there too. She stood up from her chair and greeted the two newcomer.

"Hello ! It's so nice to see you again officer Hopps."

"Likewise mayor Swinton."

"And officer Wilde. I just read the reports on what you did for our city."

The fox lifted a brow.

"Lycus case. You being undercover."

"Oh, I thought you knew."

"One would believe I would." There was bit of irritation in her voice, but it wasn't targeted to the fox. "But after what happened with Bellwether, I can understand why I was left in the dark."

She motioned them to sit and they did so.

They were waiting for one of them to start speaking but they didn't, the chief simply glancing at his watch.

"Are we waiting for someone else, sir ?"

"Yes, they should arrive in about a minute."

Nick had bad feeling of déjà vu. At the same time the door opened, showing a striped bunny.

"Shit." Let the fox escape.

"Hello to you to officer Wilde." Answered the bunny. He looked at everyone in the room and sidestepped. Another mammal entered the room. A large grey wolf. He looked old and strong at the same time. The part of his body that weren't covered by his suit were so by scars. He missed an eye, which was covered by an eyepatch.

"Bogo. Mayor. Officers." He nodded.

"Barklin." Answered the buffalo, nodding too. He saw that his two officers gave him interrogative looks. "This is Jonathan Sears Barklin, director of the ZIA." The wolf went and shook each hoof and paw.

"Chief, you know I'm not one to got against order, but if it's about another undercover operation, you might as well take back my badge this instant."

They heard a laugh that sounded more like a growl coming from the wolf. "No. Don't worry it's not about that. Besides, I don't see why you wouldn't want another assignment from us. According to Savage's report you did an excellent job."

The fox glanced at the male bunny that gave him an imperceptible nod.

"If everyone could sit, I will explain what this is all about." They did so and the chief started his explanation. "After Lycus case and his experience as an undercover agent, me and the mayor came to a conclusion : the ZIA has a little too much liberty on how it handles the cases it takes on. To put it simply, it's been at least a decade since they showed account of their actions, and though they claim what they do is for the good of the city, we don't have any proofs or even official records. Basically they say what they take on and all I get is a 'stay out of our way'. Which can be a bit tricky when I put in place my own covert operations. Me and the mayor came to the conclusion that it had to change."

The chief had slightly leaned over his desk to stare at the wolf who looked like he was having a perfectly pleasant conversation. "And I, for one, agree with you, mister Bogo."

The answer made the buffalo lift a brow. "Really ?"

"Wait, you do?" Asked the mayor.

"Yes, I do. The ZIA has actually changed a lot between the beginning of the year and now. It's mostly due to a change in management."

"As I recall, you were only the vice-director at the time. What was your predecessor's name again ? Adamska something. He kept it secret." Stated the buffalo.

"Adamska Pardalis. Yes he loved his secrecy, believing that only by being totally detached from the mayor's office and ZPD we could do our job properly, and without the influence of politics. I must admit I'm not completely against those ideas, but the ZIA simply can't stay unaccountable. Immunity leads to drifting. And we don't want something like the ZIA to drift away from its intended purpose."

"Why did you replace director Pardalis ?" Asked the mayor, curious.

"His multiple bouts of undercover operation had made him unstable. When he was named director, we knew it was only a matter of time before his mind crumbled under the PTSD and paranoia, but the ocelot was one of the best director we ever had. To make an metaphore, some mammals can think a few moves ahead. He could think a hundred move ahead, on multiple chessboards. Problem was, half of them were imaginary."

"All this is really neat, but why are we here ?" Asked Nick. "I mean, me and officer Hopps."

"Because we need to ease the ZIA into its new place. And since the ZPD will technically have authority over us from then on, we need someone that is ZPD but that also knows how we, the ZIA, proceed in our work."

"Not to seem disrespectful, but despite having worked for the ZIA, I know very little of its inner workings."

"Congratulations, it's more than most of our field agents." Said the wolf with a wide joking smile.

The fox didn't know what to answer. He simply looked at each mammal present in turn to see if they were in the same reality than him. "Okay, let's slow down a bit, I can add two and two together, you want me for that job. What would I be supposed to do ? What is... How could I even be useful in this situation ?"

"I must admit, I'm asking myself the same question." Said the mayor.

"Same here." Added the doe. "And I don't even know why I'm here to be honest."

"You're here because you're Mr Wilde's mate, my dear." Said the wolf. "Oh, don't make this face, of course I know about it. I also know that you don't keep secrets from one another, and if you are to know about this, I'd prefer that you don't have any wrong ideas about your mate's work."

"I knew it !" Said the mayor. "I knew you were together ! Congratulations !"

"Thanks." She said with her surprised expression still in place looking alternatively to the pig and wolf.

"You're welcome." They said at the same time. The wolf continued speaking. "And to get back on how you'll be useful, Mr Wilde : We want you as some sort of...

Connection between the ZPD and the ZIA. We want you to learn the true inner working of the ZIA and find where they could meet the ZPD's. You'd be a sort of ambassador between two nations. You would see what works and what doesn't, what to change so we could operate behind... Acceptable boundaries. You would teach our agents the ZPD ethics, and what protecting the city entails for a ZPD officer. You see, most of our field agents are mammals that were recruited after they failed the ZPD academy, or left an army from a nearby country, some even came from criminal population. If the ZIA is to change its ways, our agents too must change theirs."

He left the mammals present a bit of time for it to sink in.

"I personally think it's a good idea." Said the mayor. "Change the individuals to make the system evolve. One of the pillar of my politics."

"And how would I be supposed to do that ?" Asked the fox. "I mean, will I have a team ? Who would I answer to ? How will it even be organized ?"

Chief Bogo chimed in. "Director Barklin has agreed to lend you any help you need, and meet any demands you could have, provided they're in his power."

"As for a team..." Continued the wolf. "You won't really have one. You'll be able to ask any free agent for help though. And have complete access to our documents and archives. Basically, consider this an internship. You can proceed however you like, and you'll work directly under me, Mr Bogo and Mayor Swinton."

"Okay... Yes... No... I mean, do you even have a plan on how this all thing will work ? Or how long it will take ?"

"Officer Wilde, this isn't an assignment, it's a change in position." Stated the chief.

"What ?"

"It's a job offer. You would still be considered and officer, but it wouldn't be a temporary assignment. You would become the ZPD-ZIA liaison. The first, by the way."

"What ?" Came his voice and the bunny's at the same time.

"It's a position that will ask for field knowledge, social skill, and a willingness to work with, around, and above the law while keeping a steady moral compass. Basically, every best thing in your skillset. Apart from organization, but everything can be learned." The wolf smiled.

The fox looked around. The ZIA director was smiling, the mayor was smiling and the chief had a corner of his mouth up.

"And you want me for this job ?"

"Yes we do."

The fox looked at his bunny and back the three other mammals. "I can't... I mean... Judy's my partner, I can't simply leave her behind."

"Well, the good side would be that we could finally come out and get married." The doe remarked with a little smile.

"Judy, can you please be a bit more worried about all this ? They're asking me to help reorganize a whole institution and bring it closer to the ZPD's standards. And to be a liaison between the two."

The bunny put a paw on his. "I think you can do it. But you don't need to if you don't feel up to the task. Whatever your choice is, you know I'll support you."

"Thanks Carrots."

"If I may." Since the beginning of the discussion, it was the first time Jack actively participated. The ZIA director nodded. "I've seen you work, I know how resourceful you are. This job would not only bring the ZIA and ZPD together, but also change how our agents perceive their missions. Meaning, less of 'the end justify the means'."

"I wouldn't have thought it would be something you'd get behind." Nick's tone was half-taunting.

"I don't. I don't like to have restraints when on a mission. But if this is going to happen anyway, I'd prefer the task to create those restraints given to a competent mammal. And to one that will actually know what our work usually entails."

Nick scratched his chin. It was a lot to process. "And what about Judy ? What will she do while I'm on this job ? Did you request a transfer from another precinct ?" He asked the chief.

"No, I found another solution. First, you won't be at the ZIA full time, your time will be divided between here and there in half. As for officer Hopps, I know she will need another partner, but none of the mammal in other precincts are good enough for Precinct One, or to follow her rhythm. She will be at ZPD academy to give special training to the small mammals." The fox lifted a brow, the buffalo continued. "According to the inclusion act, there was not to be any favoritism toward small mammals, but it seems the one that get into the academy don't take the training seriously enough. Simply put, they underestimate what will be asked of them on the field. Having officer Hopps as a part-time teacher, and being confronted to her knowledge of the field, will help them get in line. And it will give her the opportunity to choose among the new recruits which ones would be fit to enter Precinct One, and get a new partner."

"You've thought of everything." Stated the bunny.

"It's what I'm paid for." Declared the chief before turning back to the fox. "This job is too important to be done unwillingly. If you're not up for it you will simply go at ZPD academy with Officer Hopps, officer Wilde."

The fox looked around the room again and sighed. "Chief, you're being unfair. You know I can't refuse that kind of assignment…" He gave a glance to the wolf "I have a question though, pure curiosity. The document I signed, the 'licence to kill', you said that we were only two active agents to have signed one. What about the other field agents, how do they accomplished their mission until now ?"

The wolf gave another growl-chuckle. "You have a very dark vision of our work Mr Wilde, but it's not far from the truth. Let's just say 'accidents' happen more when they are involved."

"A license to kill ?" Asked the mayor shocked.

"It's more complicated than that." Explained the wolf. "There are actually a lot of regulations around that, but it's basically what it is. I'll send you the documents about it."

"Yes please, I'd be very interested to know which mayor accepted that to be put in place, and how it holds against a court of law."

The wolf gave her a polite smile. "Of course."

The fox stared at him. "I'm definitely accepting this job. There are work ethics problems I can't turn a blind eye upon. And yes I just said that. Do I have something to sign ? Contract in blood ? Soul of my firstborn ?"

The wolf glanced at the chief. "My agents will love him. No, Mr Wilde, there is nothing to sign. This won't start before at least two weeks anyway." He looked at his phone. "Time for us to go. Bogo, Mayor, we'll have through the details via e-mail."

"Have a nice day Director." Said the female pig.

"Good bye Barklin."

The two ZIA mammals nodded and left the room.

"He's nice." Said the mayor. "I mean, nicer than one could expect."

"Oh yes, he is. As long as you are on his side." Answered the chief. "Are you sure you're up for it Wilde ?"

"I feel even less ready than for Lycus case. But yeah, I'm up for it. It needs to be done anyway."

The mayor stood up in turn. "I've got to go too. Don't hesitate to contact me on this chief Bogo."

"I will, don't worry."

She said goodbye to the three remaining mammals and left in turn.

"That was a bit surrealist." Remarked the fox.

"Just a bit." Said the bunny.

"I don't need your sass right now." Declared the chief. "It will be a simple job to you, but do you know how much paperwork it will mean for me ? Anyway, I'll have the contract brought to you as soon as I get it, Wilde. As for you Hopps, you'll soon receive a schedule of the classes you'll participate in."

"Do you know which ones they will be ?"

The buffalo looked at a few sheets of papers. "Firearm handling. They learn to shoot with 9mm and some of them have trouble handling them. Health and fitness, I think it's directly linked. First-aid and CPR, but to be honest, I don't know any young officer that takes them seriously, driving-"

"Not sure Carrots can really help with that one."

"Hey, I'm getting better. Driving in the country and driving in the city are really different things."

The chief glared at them and kept going like he hadn't been interrupted. "Patrol procedures. They technically are good enough, but there are a few things that I know you handle differently given your size. Use of non-lethal weapons. You wouldn't believe how many of them say they should rely more on lethal force."

"Comes with the small size." Explained the bunny. "We tend to be more aggressive to compensate."

"And of course, self-defense and boxing. They all struggle with that one."

"The rope-thing is too well-known now. They'll have to find something better." Half-joked the fox. "But self-defense is a real pain against larger mammals. There are no standard moves adapted to our size. It's always improvisation."

"Maybe you'll have a few insights major Friedkin will find useful." Added the buffalo. "The thing is, and by that, I don't mean to be disrespectful, a small mammal has a size advantage in only a few situations. The rest of the time, they better be damn good at their job to compare to larger officer. From what I've seen until now, you're the only two that showed they could exceed expectations. In any case, we simply can't accept mammals that won't put in the effort to do their job."

"It's logical. The ZPD has standards, they don't meet them, they don't get in." Said Judy. "Was there anything else you needed to tell us ?"

"No, you're dismissed."

The two officers saluted their superior and left the room.

"This is happening faster than I thought." Declared the fox.

"What ?"

"Well, you know, us being partners isn't very regular. The mayor didn't seem to mind, or maybe she doesn't know the ZPD's rules in depth. In any case, the solution to this problem is coming faster than I thought it would. And I didn't think I'd work with the ZIA again."

"You know, you don't have to if you don't want to."

The fox scratched one of his ears. "I don't really want to, but I know how I acted during the time I was undercover, and I was trying to stay as close as the ZPD's standards as I could. If their agents don't, I can't imagine the level of damage they can cause, and how much has been covered up by the ZIA over the years. And don't get me started on their mental state. I can't really let that stand. And you know me, I'll find a way to make it enjoyable."

"Yes, I know you." She glanced at the empty hallway and jumped to steal a kiss. "We're going to get married !"

The fox was a bit taken aback by the surprise kiss. He leaned gave her one. "Yes we are. And it's going to be fantastic."

"My parents will want a traditional bunny event."

"My mom won't give a crap. But let's not discuss it until we really decide to organize it, alright ? We'll have enough on our plate in the next few months."

"True. Shall we go see Clawhauser ?" Asked the bunny, pulling her fox by the paw.

"We shall." He let himself get directed by his mate.

The cheetah was still wearing his moping expression, shoulders and ear slumped. It was heart-rending to see him like this, and it was bound to bring the whole precinct's mood down.

"Ben, what's eating at you ?" Asked Judy, putting a paw on his arm.

"Nothing."

"Want a donut ?" Proposed the fox who made a box appear out of his back.

"No thanks."

The two mates glanced at eachother with a conniving look of disbelief.

"So basically, you're wearing a moping expression..."

"...refusing donuts..."

"...And you're perfectly fine ?"

"Yeah."

"Ben, I really don't want to press you if you don't want to talk about it, but I personally know that talking about your problems helps at least get past a portion of the emotional burden." Said the fox while putting the donut box on his desk.

The cheetah glanced at the glazed treats and took one between to fingers.

"It's silly."

"If it puts you that down, it can't be that silly."

The pudgy cat sighed. "Well, you know there is a Gazelle concert Friday night ?"

The fox didn't, but Judy immediately shot back "Yes."

"I had bought tickets, but the chief said he had an important assignment for me that evening. So I can't go. I even got front row tickets."

"Oh, Ben." Said the bunny tapping the cheetah's arm. He took a bite of the donut.

"And the tickets were not refundable."

"Now that really sucks." Said the fox with a little smile.

"Nick !"

"Sorry Ben."

"No, that's okay." The cheetah said with a sad smile. "It actually really does suck. I had one for me and one for my sister. She's not really into music or crowded places, but I know she would have enjoyed it if we have gone together." He trudged in his pocket. "If you want them you can have them."

The bunny looked at the tickets. "Can't take them Ben. We're working that same evening. Security details in front of the stadium."

"Kind of ironic actually." Added the fox. "Maybe you could give them to Wolford and Blackfur, maybe they'd at last stop being so stuck up and actually declare to each other."

"Nick, there is nothing between them." Said the bunny, giving him an annoyed but amused glance.

"You mean, they wish there were nothing between them. No rank, no clothes..." The bunny elbowed him hard. "Ow. But yeah, I actually think you could propose to give it to them, seems like a thing they could enjoy."

The cat looked at the tickets sadly. "At least they'll be useful to some-mammal."

The bunny and fox glanced at each other, there was really nothing they could do to help the cheetah cheer up. They could stay with him until the end of his shift they knew him enough to know that it would embarrass him more than it would help him. They each gave him a light encouraging tap on the shoulder and left. He'd get over it after the concert.

"I know he probably has reasons, but I'm kind of angry at the chief." Said the bunny with a frowning face.

"Want to head back up and tell him he's an ass ?" Proposed the fox while directing himself to the stairs. She caught him by the arm.

"No, not today. Let's head home. I want to celebrate you getting a new job."

The fox jogged at her side. "Oh, can I pick the food ?"

"Depends, what do you want to eat ?"

"That." He said, nibbling her ear.

"Not in the precinct !" She said, sidestepping to get away.

"There is no one in the hallway." He said, following her.

She picked up her pace. "Someone could come at any moment."

"You'd hear them coming." He matched her pace and nuzzled her neck.

"Stop it !" She giggled turning at the end of the hallway and beginning to run. He ran after her.

"Or what ?"

She suddenly stopped, caught the arm that was reaching for her and made the fox fly over her, breaking his fall with an arm. "Or I'll use violence." The fox in her arms, she gave him a deep and passionate kiss that left him panting.

He lifted a finger. "I don't mind."

"Alright." And she unceremoniously let him fall flat on his back.

"Ow."

She helped him back up. "We'll finish this later." The bunny took a few steps, deliberately wiggling her tail. "Are you coming or what ?"

The fox followed eagerly.


	9. A Very Special Assignment

_**Foxlover91 :** I wasn't so sure I should keep the ZIA part. Then I had a few ideas and decided to just roll with it. **  
**Nah, the chief is pretty much a heartless monster that revels in the sorrow of his subordinates._

 _ **Content Warning : ** Cheesyness and awkwardness may reach a toxic level._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 9 :** A Very Special Assignment _

_Middle of July 2019_

The cheetah glanced at his phone. It was around 7PM. He wished he was in front of Zootopia's stadium, tickets in hand, in the queue. Instead he had to go to the chief's office to get his special assignment. It was really unusual for him to feel any resentment toward the chief. Or any resentment toward anyone for that matter. He knew that it was to be expected in the life of a cop to have the job interfere with personal life, but it usually went a bit more his way. He tried to put it into perspective. Missing a Gazelle concert wasn't that bad compared to what he had been through.

He wasn't over the shooting yet, and it sometimes woke him up in the middle of the night. But he could feel the horrible experience slowly fading away. He could now empty two gun mags before needing a short mental rest.

Turning at the corner of the hallway he saw the chief's office door. Sighing and putting on a polite smile, he knocked.

"Come in."

The cheetah did so and installed himself on the chair in front of the desk.

"Hello officer Clawhauser."

"Hello chief." He tried to greet cheerily. But the line fell flat. He thought he could see the chief's brow move slightly. The buffalo was holding two envelopes. He slid the

smallest toward the cheetah.

"Here's to cover the cost of the tickets."

The cheetah pushed it back. "I gave them to Blackfur and Wolford. They insisted to pay me back." Truth was, even if that hadn't been the case, he felt he couldn't accept that money. The precinct shouldn't refund his personal expenses.

The chief took back the envelope, took out the check and tore it in several pieces, put back the pieces in the envelope and stored it in one of his desk's drawer. He then slid the larger envelope toward the cheetah.

"Here's your assignment."

Repressing a sigh, the cheetah took it and opened it, reading its content.

"What ?" He let escape, while his eyes widened in surprise.

Elbows resting on the desk, the chief had rested his snout on his crossed fingers, mouth hidden by his hooves.

The cheetah's gaze rose up to meet the chief's.

"What ?" He repeated. Putting back the sheet of paper on the desk in fear of letting it fall.

"Do you think you will have trouble with your assignment, officer ?" The chubby cat's mouth had fallen agape. "If so, I'll have an officer assigned to you as a partner for the duration of your mission." He extended a hoof and took the paper, scribbling a line, signing, and adding his stamp for good measure. "Here, all done."  
The cheetah's voice was finally audible again. "You're putting me on security detail ?"

The buffalo's hooves were back on his former place, mouth hidden behind them. "Yes."

"At Gazelle's concert ?"

"Yes."

"Backstage ?"

"Yes."

"Tonight ?"

"Yes."

The cheetah took the piece of paper to check who his partner would be. "You're coming too ?"

"Yes."

Clawhauser mouth slowly turned into the brightest smile ever and the chief quickly brought his hooves to his ears and plugged them. He was glad to have done so given the eardrum-piercing squeal that followed.

...

When they had entered the cruiser, the chief had wondered how the cheetah would manage to put on his seat-belt given how bouncy he had become. But as soon as the cruiser started he calmed down.

"Sir ?" He was staring at the road, a bright smile still plastered on his face.

"Yes Ben ?"

"I'm very touched by what you did, but uhm... Why ?"

The chief had a light scoff. "Because I could."

"Okay, but I mean... I'm technically on payroll here, it's not very fair."

"If it bothers you I can turn the cruiser back."

The cheetah turned to him, a startled expression replacing the smile. "Please don't do that."

"Besides, we're not doing much harm. I've been off duty for fifteen minutes now. You're the only one wasting taxpayer money."

"Chief !"

There was something strange in the chief's behavior. For one, he had made two jokes in a row, and he also seemed slightly tense.

"Are you alright chief ?"

Despite his usual stern expression, the feline could actually see his superior's face fall slightly. "I'm good. Why do you ask ?"

"It's just... Don't take it the wrong way, but you're acting strange. A bit like you did that evening, at the beginning of the Lycus case."

"Let's just say I have a lot on my mind. Things I wanted to do that I have postponed…" The feline could see the chief was deliberately evasive. He was curious, but he also know not to pry on the buffalo's business. "We're here."

The security guards opened the back gates when the chief showed them his ID, not that they needed it to recognize him, and they parked the car in the service parking lot.

The two officers got out of the car and the feline took a few steps before he felt the chief tug at his collar. "Remember, it's an assignment. We're not here to have fun."

The cheetah froze. "Kidding." Gleefully, the feline continued to make his way in a bouncy pace, followed by the buffalo.

...

The scene was a circle in the center of the stadium with an elevated path coming from the edge of the stadium that would allow the singer and dancers to make their way from backstage to the stage. From where they were on the rim side of the stadium, it was clear Clawhauser and the chief wouldn't have the best view. Realizing that, the feline's face fell a bit.

"Ben, this way." The cheetah turned to see the chief show a metal staircase. He followed his superior and they ended up in a narrow pathway, between the screens that would project images of the concert and the stadium walls. A short walk later and they were on the mobile railings that had been lowered to less than a dozen meters above ground. They basically had the best view of the scene. "The only downside is that you won't be able to move a lot here."

"It's perfect !"

"Not yet, but it can be. Don't move from here." The chief went away leaving the cheetah to wait, while the crowd slowly poured into the stadium. The cheetah tried to spot his colleagues but the crowd was too dense at the moment. He looked at the scene. The technicians were still putting things in place and checking that everything was okay. For a few seconds, the feline felt a bit guilty toward Wolford and Blackfur. They had bought him the tickets and he would still get to see the concert for free. Maybe he had lied on the ticket price and made them pay only half their worth. But still.

The chief came back with a large plastic bag a few minutes later while the crowd had packed itself against the barriers.

"What's this ?"

The chief emptied the bags of part of its content. A pair of harness. "You should put this on. Standard security procedures."  
The cheetah almost protested that he wasn't clumsy enough to fall from the railing, but if he had to be honest, he wasn't so sure about that. And he knew that he would not be able to keep himself from dancing. The chief helped put it on and adjusted the belt, before hooking it to the handrail. "You have two meters on the main rope and three meter on the security rope. Should be enough to move around."

"Thanks sir."

The chief nodded and put on his own harness. "Ben, could you reach for the belt behind my back and pull it ?" Because of his large back, one of the adjusting belt was not reachable for the buffalo. He leaned back and the cheetah obliged. "Thanks."

"You're welcome sir."

The chief hooked his own harness and reached for the bag, taking out what was still within. A pair of soda can and a box of for donuts. The buffalo sat, legs dangling from the railway, elbows on the handrail. He scooted at bit on the side to let the cheetah sit at his side without the column in his way and put the donut box between them, even though he would probably not touch them.

"You think it's going to start soon ?"

The chief pointed at the technicians. "See those guys in the corner ? They're about to switch the system to computer control. The mammal controlling them will be working from this booth right here. I'd say we'll have to wait five minutes tops."

"You know a lot about this."

"I know the place's blueprint and procedures, I had to study them to help devise the security plans."

As he finished his sentence, the lights turned off.

A cheer came from the crowd as a few lights turned on toward the stage. The cat opened the donut box, took one and gave one to the chief. He took it and stared at it for a second. Those treats were too sweet for his taste.

But he didn't care.

Lights began blinking in a visual ballet around the scene and the cheetah stood up, leaning down to look.

"Oh oh oh oh ooooooh  
Oh oh oh oh ooooooh"

The feline squealed in anticipation, bouncing and humming with the singer.

"Oh oh oh oh ooooooh  
Oh oh oh oh ooooooh"

He realised it was actually completely necessary that he wore a harness.

"I messed up tonight, I lost another fight.  
I still mess up but I'll just start again.  
I keep falling down, I keep on hitting the ground,  
I always get up to see what's next."

One of his fears was that the sound wouldn't be great there, but free from most of the crowd's cheering and with the shape of the stadium it was actually quite good.

"Birds don't just fly, they fall down and get up  
Nobody learns without getting it wrong "

He began dancing, following the rhythm, careful to not move too much on the railing.

"I won't give up, no I won't give in  
'Til I reach the end and then I'll start again  
No, I won't leave, I wanna try everything  
I wanna try even though I could fail "

He glanced at the chief, who was standing too, hooves tapping rhythmically on the railing.

"I won't give up, no I won't give in  
'Til I reach the end and then I'll start again  
No, I won't leave, I wanna try everything  
I wanna try even though I could fail"

Losing himself in the moment, he danced to the choreography of the feline dancers, which he knew perfectly.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh  
Try everything  
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh  
Try everything  
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh  
Try everything  
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh"

He liked the concert mood, and being up there was different than being in the crowd, but since it was the only concert he had 'missed' so far, he enjoyed the change of pace.

"Look how far you've come, you filled your heart with love  
Baby, you've done enough, take a deep breath  
Don't beat yourself up, don't need to run so fast  
Sometimes we come last, but we did our best."

He heard the chief's voice at his side but it was low. He had to focus on it to understand what he was saying.

"I won't give up, no I won't give in  
'Til I reach the end and then I'll start again  
No, I won't leave, I wanna try everything  
I wanna try even though I could fail."

The chief was singing the song. He was actually singing a Gazelle song. True, he didn't sing loud, but that meant he knew the lyrics.

"I won't give up, no I won't give in  
'Til I reach the end and then I'll start again  
No, I won't leave, I wanna try everything  
I wanna try even though I could fail."

Still dancing in his spot, he continued giving the chief side glances. Wait, was it a dance move ? He continued his observation trying to not lose himself too much in the music.

"I'll keep on making those new mistakes  
I'll keep on making them every day  
Those new mistakes."

They were actually slight dance moves. It made the cheetah giggle. The chiefs discreet moves matched perfectly those of the tigers, if one was to extrapolate. His voice had also risen, and he was singing at the usual level of his voice.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh  
Try everything  
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh  
Try everything  
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh  
Try everything  
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh"

The cheetah and buffalo were side to side, one truly dancing, lost in the song, the other still composed, but clearly singing it with heart.

"Try everything "

The cheetah looked at the chief who was smiling. Not the light corner smile he usual showed but a genuine smile. The buffalo reached down and grabbed the soda cans, while the next song began and proposed one to the cheetah who nodded.

The chief was happy to always be wearing the short sleeved uniform. He hadn't planned that the stadium's body heat would go up and hit them like it did. Teh fact it was still summer didn't help either. He was sure that it was worse in the crowd, and he was quite happy to be a cape buffalo, adapted to high temperatures. The concert had ended and they were getting down from the railway. Clawhauser was feeling the usual post-concert gloom rise. It would dissipate in a few minutes. They got rid of the harness, giving them back to the technicians and the cheetah began walking to the exit, turning his head toward the scene to catch a last glance of his favourite singer.

"Where are you going ?" Asked the chief.

"Well the concert is over..."

The buffalo chuckled and put a hoof on the cheetah's shoulder. "We're not going yet."

"What ?"

The chief directed them across the back of the empty scene, to a door with a sign saying 'private', in front of which was a bear bodyguard. The ursine sidestepped to let them pass.

"You're sure we can..."

As an answer the chief knocked on the door. "Yes, come in." Came a female voice.

"No, no, no, no-" Tried to protest the cheetah, while the chief pushed him through the door he had just opened. When the door shut, he glanced back, fearing that the chief had left him alone. He hadn't.

He was frozen in place, face to face with a gazelle. Face to face with Gazelle.

"Hello ?" She greeted. "Is everything okay, officers ?" She seemed a bit worried. After all, two police officers had entered the private room.

The chief poked the cheetah's back to put him out of his state.

"I- uh- erm-" Clawhauser scoffed to take back his composure. "No, everything is okay. I'm simply just a fan. Backstage. In the private room." The gazelle lifted a brow and gave him the corner of a smile. "Well... Erm, since everything seems okay here, maybe we should go chief ?"

The buffalo, still smiling rolled his eyes. Gazelle giggled in her hoof. "You don't want an autograph before leaving ?"

"Can I ?"

"Of course. Anything for my fans !" She turned to one of her dancer. "Heinkel ? Do we have a photo for our fan ?"

"I'm sure I can find one."

"And a t-shirt too ! A large one."

"On it !"

The gazelle gave the chief a look. "Are you a fan too ?"

"Yes." If he was embarrassed, the buffalo didn't show it.

"Heinkel ? Two photos and two t-shirt, please ?" She then turned back again toward the intruders. "You're the chief of police, are you ? Chief Bogo ?"

"Yes. Adrian Bogo." He extended a hoof that she shook.

"Gazelle Ripoll. And you are ?" She asked the feline.

"Benjamin Clawhauser."

"Nice to meet you Ben ! Can I call you Ben ?"

"Of- of course." He said, his blush going up a level.

"Wait, I know you ! Two years back, I signed a copy of 'Magia' for you."

"First Pawlumbian edition. Yes. I still have it."

"I knew I had seen this face before."

The cheetah couldn't believe his star had remembered him. The chief was less surprised. The chubby feline wasn't easy to forget.

The tiger came back with the t-shirts and photos. She quickly signed them. "Wanna make a selfie ?"

"Yes, please." Immediately shot back the cheetah, taking out his phone. Suddenly he had an idea. "Oh, I must absolutely show you something." He quickly went into his picture folder to look for a very specific one. Quickly he found it and put it on fullscreen. It was a picture of Finnick's painting.

"Oh that is so lovely ! Guys, you must come and see this !"

The four backup dancer approached too, to look at the screen.

"Yes, I got the axe !" Came a voice. "We need props like that on scene."

"I love the armors. Well, the bits of metal."

"Don't know if it would be easy to dance with, though."

"That's awesome, who painted it ?" Asked the gazelle.

"A friend of mine. He's trying to do it professionally."

The singer immediately took out a business card. "Can you give him this ? It's my agent's card. I need to have something from him."

"I will." He put the card in his wallet, and turned ton his phone camera. "About that selfie ?"

"Of course !"

"Chief Bogo, get in the frame !" Called one of the dancer. They had to be pressed one against the other to actually fit all in, and the buffalo ended up taking the picture since he was the one with the longer arms.

...

The chief was driving the feline home. In the cruiser, the feline was mute, staring at the road ahead.

"Anything on your mind, Ben ?"

"I... I think it was the best night of my life. Thanks chief."

"Technically, you've been off-duty for ten minutes. You can call me by my first name."

The cheetah stared at him for a few seconds, stunned. It was unthinkable to him, and he would think the chief was joking. But the chief was rarely joking, and when he said or asked something, it was rarely, if never, a figure of speech. He said what he meant. And The feline kind of wanted to try it.

"T-Thanks Adrian." His cheek immediately started burning and hid his face with his paws. He had dared call the chief by his first name. And it didn't feel that wrong. Well it did a bit. But it had felt right too.

"You're welcome, Ben."

The cruiser pulled over in front of the feline's building. He took the door handle and started opening the door. He stopped midway and turned to the buffalo. "But really, it was a wonderful evening. Thanks a lot. Good Night Si- Adrian." Yep. Burning cheeks. He quickly turned away and as he stepped outside the car, he was happy that the darkness hid his face.

"Good night Ben." The chief looked at him go around the cruiser and sighed scratching his forehead. Taking an inspiration, and as the feline had almost reached the building's door, he quickly got out of the vehicle, stopping in his tracks after a couple of steps.

Having heard the cruiser door open, the cheetah glanced back and saw the chief standing on the sidewalk, head slightly bowed, in such a way that the shades from his horn hid his features.

"Chief ?" He asked, taking a hesitant step toward the buffalo. "Is everything okay chief ?" He saw a slight movement in the buffalo's body. He was slowly and deeply breathing.

"Chief ? A-Adrian ?"

He seemed to struggle to take a step forward, like he was hesitant, which was absolutely out of character for the chief. It troubled the cheetah, who took another few steps. Only a couple of meters separated them now. The feline could actually hear the buffalo mumble something but didn't dare ask what it was. Since he didn't know what to do or say, the feline chose to wait for a bit.

The chief slightly lifted his head, but his face was still hidden. "Ben, I'm sorry if this question is strange or unexpected, but what is your opinion of me ?"  
The feline was a bit taken aback. "Well, um... I think you're a great officer, and you really know how to do your job. I think you try to always be fair with the officers under your command-"

The buffalo lifted a hoof. "I... meant on a personal level."

It was unusual for the chief to hesitate, and even more to get on a personal level with one of his officers. Then again, he had just asked to be called by his first name. The cat chose to put aside his interrogations and answered honestly. "I... I think you are as solid as you show, and that it's not actually only a shell like some mammals could believe. I think you're nice, even if you don't really show it. I don't know if that's because you don't know how to show it, or because you prefer to do than to show." The feline stared at the buffalo that hadn't moved an inch. He didn't know if he should but he kept going. "I believe it's a bit of both... I also believe that you genuinely care. You're very selfless, and not just acting the way you do because it's your duty." The cat gave an embarrassed chuckle. "You just don't care about the futile stuff. And you're also a bit scary." He smiled.

The buffalo had gruff chuckle and took a step forward and slightly leaned down toward the feline. He was actually even more impressive under the street lamp light.

"Am I scaring you now ?"

Any mammal in the cheetah's situation would feel threatened but he didn't. He had a complete trust in the buffalo. "You've been weird all evening, I'd say I'm worried about you."

The buffalo scratched his neck and looked in empty space for a couple of seconds.

"Would you care to know what I think about you ?"

Clawhauser's mouth suddenly felt really dry.

"Yes. I think I would."

The buffalo cleared his throat. "I think you're more capable than mammals believe, or even than you believe. You're selfless and caring. Mammals are drawn to you. It's actually part of the reason why I asked for you to stay at Precinct One after your temporary transfer and to have you on the front desk." He gave a strange chuckle. "Not the only reason though. I've only realised it a few months ago.."

The cheetah lifted a brow, not understanding what the buffalo meant.

"I'm not that selfless, Ben. For instance, the reasons why I pushed you to stay and work your ass off as an officer in my precinct are in part very selfish." The chief took another step forward and the light finally lit his face which showed a somewhat concerned smile.

"I'm not sure I get what you mean, sir." Said the cheetah, while a few dozen theories, all more crazy than the next, popped in his mind.

"I only noticed, or accepted to notice it a few months ago, but the reason why I wanted you at my precinct, was because I wanted you to stay close."

"Close ?" Asked the cheetah in a meek voice.

The buffalo made another step and put a knee to the ground, putting his head on the same level of the cheetah's. "Close to me." He approached a hesitant hoof, but stopped it midway. The cheetah's mouth opened slightly with the hitting realisation, his eyes widening in turn. He made a little step forward and tried to control his breath. The hoof ran on his face's fur and the buffalo's mouth approached his slowly. He brushed the cheetah's lips gently, and the feline answered with the same movement. The lips slowly locked in a soft and interrogative kiss. They slowly broke it, each trying to find the answer they sought in each others gaze. In a mutual understanding, they reached again for eachother's lips, ever so gently. The cheetah still felt the hoof caressing his fur. He, in turn, reached with his paw. It found its way to the chief's cheek, ran up, and found its place, his thumb between the ear and the horn.

When the kiss broke again, they both blinked a few times. The feline had to recover his breath. They were both smiling, in a mix of awkwardness and happiness.

"I... You..." Began the cheetah, looking for his words and not finding them.

"I ?" Proposed the buffalo.

"Us… Well…"

They both chuckled, the awkwardness was still present.

"I need to..." Began Clawhauser.

"You're working tomorrow." Stated the buffalo.

"Yeah."

"See you... tomorrow ?"

"Of course !" Had he answered a bit too enthusiastically ? The feline took a little step back. "Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow."

Totally confused, his head full of interrogations, and on the verge of losing it, the feline made his way to the door, feeling, or imagining, the chief's gaze on him. He passed the door and gave a little wave as he disappeared inside.

The buffalo, noticing that he hadn't moved while the cat was leaving, stood up, turned and went back inside the cruiser in a really slow pace.  
In the elevator, Clawhauser leaned, and knocked his head back against the wall. He was only now noticing the wide smile that had crept on his face. "Oh ! Em ! Goodness !"

In the cruiser, Bogo had put his hooves on the wheel and was breathing really slowly. "Try everything, heh ?" Fighting the urge to let escape a scream of joy that he was sure would wake up the entire neighborhood. Biting his lips, he started the car and drove away into the night.

* * *

 _ **Foxlover91 :** I lied.  
_


	10. A Wild Guess

_**Foxlover91 :** Don't take an appointment to the dentist just yet, there is more to come._

 _ **Robert Escher :** Yeah, I was gritting my teeth having to delay it that much. It's the ship I wanted to write about the most._

 _I was grating some cheese over my fanfic, and I may have gotten a tad overboard. Goopd news is : I'm not even sorry._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 10 :** A Wild Guess _

_Middle of July 2019_

The bunny and fox were a bit early to work. Judy usually woke up sooner that the fox for her morning run. It was a habit she had fallen out of, after what she called her 'leg injury', and what Nick referred to as 'the reason he wasn't feeling guilty about shooting this damned lamb dead' in his mind. That morning, like sometimes, he had woken up at the same time and accompanied her. He usually ran in the evening. Having nocturnal tendencies, the morning exercise was kind of a torture. But sometimes, he went with her, simply to enjoy her company, and because he knew she enjoyed it too.

When they arrived at the ZPD, the first they saw was a slightly weary Clawhauser with a dreamy smile on his face.

They exchanged a surprised glance before approaching.

"Hey big guy. Seems you've recovered from yesterday."

"Nick, Judy ! Nice to see you so early !" It seemed he hadn't really registered Nick's sentence.

"Nice to see you too, Ben." The bunny was curious. "I'm really glad that you're feeling better today. But from where does this smile come from ?" She said pointing at his face.

The cat noticed the expression he was wearing and turned it in a more casual smile. "It's my usual smile." They didn't miss the slight nervousness in his tone.

"Is it ?" Asked the fox, with a slightly mischievous grin. The feline's smile faltered a bit.

"Yes. It is. Completely. Nothing strange in my smile." Still, the nervousness was here.

"If you say so..." Said the vulpine. "Anyway, glad you're doing better. See you later."

The bunny waved at the cheetah too and the couple went away.

"He's hiding something." Stated the bunny.

"Noticed it too, huh ? Any idea what ?"

"I don't know. But he'll probably end up telling us anyway. No point in pressing him." She stated. They entered the parking lot and the bunny climbed aboard the cruiser, on the driver side. "Ready to roll ?"

"Hit it."

...

They were driving while keeping an eye on the citizens. Two hours in their round, they made a pause to order a coffee in a nearby stagbuck and switched place in the cruiser. The bunny was staring at the fox over her cup of coffee. He gave her an interrogative glance.

"It's not going away." She remarked.

"What ?"

"The streak of white hair." She said pointing at the place the bullet had caught him, a five centimeter line of white hair, beginning from the middle of his right brow and pointing to the back of his skull. "The doc said the hairs' roots could heal. They aren't."

"Doesn't matter. It makes me look cool." He said with his trademark smug grin.

She had to admit that it made him look cool. But she wouldn't tell him, he was smug enough as it was. "Yeah, and girls dig scars."

"They do."

"Too bad most of them are bears." She said tauntingly.

"I could go for a bear." He answered in a conversational tone.

The bunny gave him a glare that he pretended he didn't see.

...

The morning had been pretty uneventful, and when lunchtime came they were kind of bored. They decided to take it on a terrace with the cruiser parked near, in case of emergency. He had chosen a bug-burger. The bunny couldn't understand how he could stand to eat bugs, even cooked and in steak form. She chose a simple tomato and mozzarella salad. She didn't eat a lot of dairy products, since as a herbivore she couldn't digest them very well, but she liked them a lot.

"So any theories on why Ben had that strange smile on his face ?" She asked between two bites.

Her partner was distractedly browsing the internet on his phone, his burger in his other paw. "No idea. I've already seen this kind of smile on his face though, but I can't put my finger on what occasion."

"You remember when ?"

He put the phone down to reflect on it. "Before the beginning of Lycus case. I'm sure of it." He took the phone back up. "Hey, want to see pictures of the concert ?

There are also clips, but the ones uploaded by users are always crappy."

"Sure." She scooted aside and leaned against him. His tail unconsciously went to wrap itself around her. He picked one and swiped left. Most of them were taken toward the scene, showing Gazelle and her backup dancer at different place. Sometimes they were carrying her, there was even a picture where she seemed to be flying, the tigers ready to catch her.

"I want to go to one of her concerts one day. Would you come with- wait, back up, back up ! What's this ?"

The fox swiped right a few times.

"This, here, near the spotlight." She exclaimed

"Seems like a loose cable, Fluff."

"Zoom in."

The fox shrugged and did it. It didn't really look like a loose cable.

"That, Nick, isn't a loose cable. It's a cheetah's tail. Notice the spots here ? They're hard to see because of the light but they're there."

"Thinks it's Ben ? The picture is over-exposed, there is no way to be sure."

"Do you want to bet on it ?"

The fox gave her a side-glance. "Nope, I'm pretty sure you'd win that one."

...

In the car, the bunny was back behind the wheel. The afternoon announced itself as boring as the afternoon.

"Say fluff, were you going to ask me to come to a Gazelle concert with you ?"

"Well, yes. I know you're not too fond of pop music, but it could be a nice date."

The fox chuckled.

"What ? I think it's a good idea."

"I'm not mocking you, Fluff. I was just thinking about the whole date thing."

"What about it ?"

"I've proposed to you, and you've accepted, but we never even went on a proper date."

The bunny's brow furrowed. Didn't they ? She was pretty sure they had at least once. "Are you sure ?"

"Certain. Patrols don't count, and neither does hanging out before we got together. I think we skipped a few steps."

The bunny sighed. "Hope we won't have to wait too long for it."

...

They had parked the car in the underground parking lot and had come back to ground level. The chief passed them and gave them a nod and then passed the front desk. The chubby feline gave him a little wave with a strange awkward smile. They couldn't see the chief's expression, but he answered with a wave instead of his usual nod.

The fox put an elbow on the desk and brought his phone up, looking for the picture from before while Judy asked. "Did you have a nice day Ben ?"

"Slow and a bit boring, but overall, yes."

"And what was that special assignment the chief had for you by the way ?" She asked on the same tone.

His expression changed to slightly startled. "It was um... Confidential."

"How confidential ?" Asked the fox with a mischievous smile, while sliding the phone on the desk toward him. The startled expression turned to mild panic. Nick pointed at the tail. "Concert security ?"

"Yes ?"

"Absolutely not a ploy to give you backstage access ?" Asked the bunny. It made sense though. She knew the cheetah was still struggling with the memories of the shooting. Maybe the chief had wanted to surprise him. It was awfully nice of him. And completely out of place. Not that she minded.

"Maybe a little. I actually got a signed photo, and selfie with her." He said in a giggly tone. "Please don't tell anyone. I know this wasn't really regular and I don't want the chief to have any problems." It was true, but it was not the only reason.

It explained the strange smile, thought the bunny. But to Nick, it was something else. He couldn't put the finger on it yet but he would find out. "Was the chief with you ? I remember you telling me he liked gazelle."

"Yes, he does." The strange smile was there again, slightly hidden. Nick scoffed with surprise, and the grin was back on his face. Dreamy smile, small wave from the chief. Somehow it made sense.

"What is it Nick ?" Asked the bunny while the cheetah's eyes slightly widen in fear that the fox had made some sort of unseemly deduction.

The vulpine leaned on the desk, his smile widening and showing teeth. Whispering so that the three mammals were the only one that could hear him he asked. "Say, Ben, what happened aside from the concert ?" There was a tinge of naughtiness in his teasing tone.

Ben's jaw opened slightly and then clapped shut. Judy gave a glance to the two predators before her eyes widened. "What ?" She asked in a strangled voice. "Nick, I see what you're implying, but that can't be..." She looked at the cheetah's expression switching from startled to dreamy and back to startled again. "Oh my gosh, it is." She was so stunned, there was nothing she could add.

"Guys, please, not a word to anyone ! It just... We just kissed. Tha-"

"You and the chief kissed !?" The bunny had place her paws on her mouth.

"Did he kiss you or did you kiss him ?" Asked the fox.

"It kind of was a mutual thing." Answered the cheetah, his face completely red under his fur.

The bunny barely muffled the squealed that came out of her mouth.

The cat waved his paws. "Guys, we haven't talked about it yet. I don't even know what 'it' is. Please keep it to yourselves."

The fox put a paw on his forearm. "Ben, you kept your mouth shut about Judy and me. I'm not going to say anything about you and him to anyone, you can rest easy. But you'll have to tell us about it later."

The cheetah nodded and turned to the bunny. "Ben, you know me. I won't say anything." She reassured.

"Thanks guys." He sighed in relief. "I don't know what I would've done. I promise to tell you everything about this later, but-"

They both smiled. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with us." Said the bunny before giving him a little wave. "Time for us to head home. Have a nice evening."

"You too."

"How did you know about the whole kiss thing ?" Asked Judy as they left the precinct.

"I didn't know, His smile was just the same than the one he had when he went out with that tiger a few months back." He smiled. "And I've seen him after a Gazelle concert before. His attitude didn't match."

"So, it was guess ?"

"An educated guess, but yeah pretty much. Why do you think Fangmeyer stopped inviting me to the poker nights ? I'm very good at educated guesses."

...

The cheetah had had the whole night and day to think about the situation between him and the chief. Thinking about it, he could put aside a few things. First, it wasn't a spur of the moment coming from the buffalo. He didn't do spur of the moment. Even the 'surprise' assignment, had been carefully planned. And knowing him, he must have weighed his decision a long time before taking it.

The chief was his superior, he was the chief of Precinct One, and even if the cheetah technically didn't work directly under him, it could lead to all sort of problems, and mainly for the buffalo. Oh, as the chief, he could easily put the blame on the cheetah if any problem arose, but he believed the buffalo wouldn't make him take the fall.  
But that hadn't been the main thing in his mind.

He wondered if anything could really happen between them. If was to be honest with himself, he'd have to admit he had a crush on the chief for a really long time, maybe since he had met him. But having a crush was not a guarantee that anything good would come out of a relationship. Then again, there was no guarantee in any relationships.

There was another thing that weighed on his mind, like a big ball of strange anxiety. He saw the chief as something big, not in the physical sense, like some sort of hero, or idol. And he knew it was not a good thing to see his potential partner like that. He'd have to take the chief down from this pedestal, and he didn't know if he would be able to.

It was in that state of mind that he left his desk at the end of the date and directed himself toward the chief's office.

The feeling was strange. His feet weighed tons, and his stomach was filled with butterflies.

"Come in !" Came the voice just after the cheetah had knocked on the door. He stepped in the office, and found himself facing the chief who was consulting a file. He pulled his glass down to look at the newcomer and greeted him with smile. A genuine smile, which sent the cheetah's heart in a looping. "I brought the day's report, chief." He said, putting it in the bin on the desk."I thought that maybe, we could... Um, talk. A bit. If that's okay with you chief."  
The buffalo looked at his watch. "As of twenty seconds ago, we both are off duty."

"If that's okay with you, A-Adrian."

"I'm okay with it. I too think we should talk." They both awkwardly stared at eachother for a bit, not really knowing where to begin. "Maybe you have questions ?"  
How the chief could maintain his composure, the cheetah didn't know but he found it quite impressive. "Yeah, I do... Sorry if this is a bit blunt, but what is it ? Us... We... I don't really know what is happening... I'm a bit lost. I mean, what do you want ?"

The chief took down his glasses and put them back in their box. "I don't know what this is, yet. This is new to me. Or really old, depends how you see things." The chief took an inspiration. He knew talking about past relationship could be like walking on eggs, but it was important to make his point. And he had faith that Clawhauser would be comprehensive. "Did you know that I had been married before ? To a female buffalo if this is of any importance."

"I think I heard about it." Answered the feline, wondering where the chief was going with this.

"So you probably guessed that it ended. It didn't end good, or bad. It just did. I thought I had everything figured out. I had a plan, I had expectations, and it just didn't work out." The chief scratched the bridge between his eyes. He got up from his desk and went to the cheetah who stood up in turn. "What I want to say is, I don't know what this is. And I don't know where this is going. I had no other plan than to declare and hope for the best." The cheetah had to fight to not let his mouth fall agape. The chief always tried to plan ahead, to prepare for the worst. This was so... Unusual. "So, for what I want. I want to try to have something with you. Something genuine." Even in this, the buffalo was direct and blunt. Most guys the cat had dated were direct too, but Bogo was on a whole different level.  
The feline noticed he had been holding his breath for the whole duration of the chief's speech and gasped for air.

"What about you Ben ?"

"I... I'm not much of a planner in my private life... You have to know, I've had a crush on your for a long time." He couldn't hold the chief's gaze while saying those words, but he struggled and looked back for the nexts. "I want to try something too. Not just some one-time thing." He finished with a hopeful smile which the buffalo mirrored. "And I kind of want you to kiss me no-"

He didn't have the time to finish the sentence, the buffalo's right hoof running on his cheek and his left arm coming and supporting his back while the cheetah bended back. Their lips collided in a soft kiss. The cheetah rose his paws and gripped the chief's collar with one while brushing his neck with the other. Heaven smelled and tasted like buffalo musc.

The paw on the collar had slightly slid down on the chief's chest and when the kiss broke the feline bit his lips and put the paw away. "Sorry." He said in a meek voice as he was only half-sorry.

"That's okay." Answered the buffalo with a kind smile. The cheetah put his paw back with a wide smile and chief chuckled. He helped the cheetah straighten up and scratched his neck with annoyed look.

"Chi- Adrian, is everything okay ?"

"I was going to ask you to have dinner somewhere with me but... It wouldn't be really prudent or wise to do that. If people began to have the right idea..."

The cheetah sighed. "I'm beginning to understand how NIc and Judy feel. Well at least they live together." The cat noticed what he had just said. "Not that I want to live with... Or that I don't... I mean, it's a bit soon, and..." He decided to shut his mouth, not wanting to embarrass himself further.  
The chief gave a chuckle. "I understood what you meant... We could go have dinner somewhere, but we can't really look like a couple."

"We could do that but, it wouldn't really be... How to explain."

"It wouldn't really be as nice as a date." Stated the buffalo.

"Yeah. I'd invite you home and cook, but with Wolford and MacHorn, it's not really an option either."

The buffalo scratched his chin reflectively. "I'd invite you at mine, but I don't know how to cook. I mean, aside from the simple stuff."

It put a slight dent in the perfect bachelor image the pudgy feline had of the chief but also made him smile. "I could cook for you. I mean if you want to."

"I don't want to make you work."

"Cooking isn't working. Is your kitchen furnished ?"

The chief looked slightly embarrassed… Well one of his brows rose slightly. "What exactly do you mean by that ?"  
As an answer the cat giggled. "I'll bring stuff then ! If you give me your address I'll arrive around 6:30." The chief did and cheetah wrote it in his phone. It was a place south of Downtown, in a nice neighborhood. The cat left in a bouncy step while the chief wondered if a monster had just awaken. Shrugging, he put his stuff in order and left the precinct in turn.

...

The good thing about spending so little time a his place was that it was always tidy. The place wasn't big, not for a buffalo anyway, but it was enough. The chief didn't live an ascetic life, but he didn't need much to go by. At least, the little he owned, he made it a point to be resilient and of good quality. For instance, though he rarely used his kitchen, the stove and oven were the best one could find, his large TV that he had bought a decade earlier, and maybe turned on two times, was still on par with the current technology standards, and the convertible sofa that was in front of it, which was also his bed, was one of the most comfortable thing one could find to sit or sleep on.

He took a bit of time to sweep the place clean, since he didn't always think about dusting, and sat on the sofa. He usually would stay at the precinct until around eight or nine, checking on everything his subordinates did. The half-hour of respite he had before the feline arrived were unusual.

Everything seemed unusual.

While he was in his bedroom, he chose an outfit, staying uniform wouldn't do. He noticed that aside from his workout clothes, he really didn't have much to put on. He chose a simple pair of trouser with a plain shirt, hoping it would be enough.

For a few seconds he wondered what he was doing. The whole thing looked like a terrible idea. An invite to chaos. Then again, Hopps and Wilde were chaos magnets, and they were parts of the best things that city had. Maybe chaos was good from time to time. Until that point, his life had been a well arranged straight line, and this time, he had taken an impulsive decision. A well and long thought decision that had taken a fair amount of self-convincing, but impulsive nonetheless.  
It didn't make any sense and fitted nowhere in the square scheme that was his life, but it was the first time in a very long time he had wanted something as much and with such selfishness.

The buffalo didn't consider himself selfless, or good. He mostly didn't give himself much hoped that jolt of selfishness wouldn't send him astray. One would argue he had the right to have someone, to not be alone, but the chief simply didn't think like that. Was it a mistake ? Was it a fling ? Was he doing something stupid ? He didn't know yet, and wouldn't figure it out tonight, since the doorbell rang and he went to open the door.

"Hello chie- Adrian. Sorry, I can't say it spontaneously yet." Greeted the cat. He was holding a large sportsbag, which the chief took. The thing was slightly more heavy than it looked.

The feline was wearing a pair of blue long shorts with a white shirt which fitted him well.

"You'll get there." Reassured the buffalo. "Come, I'll give you a tour." First he showed him the kitchen. It wasn't big, but the necessary was there. The only complain the cat could make was that the stove worked on electricity and not gaz. Next, a large bedroom which doubled as a living room. Aside from the couch, TV and a desk with his laptop on it, it contained a benchpress and that was it. The last thing to see was the bathroom which had one of the largest bathtub the cat had ever seen. It was logical since the whole place was buffalo-sized.

They went back to the kitchen and the cheetah began unpacking what he had brought. There were mostly vegetables, and a lot of cooking herbs the chief couldn't identify. "I've taken the liberty to bring my own utensils, since I didn't know if you had anything." The buffalo opened a cupboard. The only thing that was worth using there was the cutting board which the cat took and set on the table, taking one of his cooking knife from his bag. He began dicing an onion while the chief leaned back on the table and watched him work.

"Can I do anything ?"

The cat stopped mid-move and glanced at the chief. He wasn't used to let people help when he was cooking, aside from his sister, which was walking disaster with a knife in her paw, despite her eagerness to help. "You could put the pan on the stove, low heat. Do you have some butter ?" The chief did what the feline had asked and took the butter out of the fridge. "Could you put some oil in the pan with a bit of butter ? Just a bit more. Perfect." He then threw the onion in and began cutting other things.

The chief leaned over the cat shoulder which slightly shivered at how close he was. "What are we having ?"

"Don't know yet. I'm mostly winging it. Is there anything you don't like ?"

"Not big on tomatoes and potatoes. And cumin. Can't stand it. Else, I eat anything, aside from meat of course. Tried it, not that bad, but I can't digest it." The buffalo left the feline's back and went to his room, leaving Clawhauser to his work who could suddenly breathe a little easier. He was beginning to have some ideas and stirred the onions while they were taking form. A few seconds later, Gazelle started playing in the other room and the chief reappeared with a smile. The cheetah giggled and the buffalo went to place himself near him. He had to admire the dexterity which he was showing while working the knife. He didn't know much about cooking, but the smooth movement seemed almost perfect. There was something in how the feline was moving in the kitchen, it wasn't just joy or happiness, there was something else. The chief approached from behind and leaned, careful to not do it while Clawhauser was using the knife, and brushed his neck with his lips. The cat instantly froze with a purr and slightly turned his head left. The chief reiterated his action and the cat leaned back, putting his back against the chief's pectoral muscles with a satisfied huff.

"I hope I'm not bothering you in your cooking."

"Not at all." A bit reluctantly, the feline unstuck himself from the warm and firm chest of the chief and went back to his vegetables. Half-dancing to the beat of the music, the cat took a zucchini and grated them in long stripes. He had sauteed a bunch of other stuff after the onions had finished cooking, and he added the stripes to the mix.

"It's going to be a bit of an experimentation. Hope you like Parmesan." He added the cheese with a touch of cream to make it all more liquid. A few minute later it was ready. "You may want to add pesto."

"I don't have any."

"But I do." He said, taking it from the bag.

The two mammals set themselves on the couch in front of the TV. The music was from a concert recording that they watched while eating.

"So you don't have any plan for anything ?"

"No. I'm winging it." Smiled the buffalo. "Let's hope it will end up being as good as your cooking."

The plates had been put aside on the headstand and the cat leaned against the buffalo, his head ending on his lap, while he was lying on his back.

"Let's hope yeah. Sorry if it's a sensible topic, but, um..."

"Go ahead, I understand that you can have questions."

The cat took an inspiration. "Have you chosen to do all this thing that way because of how your marriage ended ? You know, with no plan or no idea what was coming..."

The bovine gave a grim chuckle. "No, at least I don't think so. Even if I wanted to plan ahead, and I did try, I'm afraid I've absolutely no idea how this will go. I just don't want to screw it up or put you in a bad situation."

"Me neither. Since we're on sensible topics, can I ask another question."

The chief's hoof had begun stroking the cat's head. "Sure."

"Your ex wife is, well... A female, and I'm a male. So..."

"So you want to know about my sexual orientation ?"

"Yeah."

The chief kept stroking, lingering on the base of the cat's ears, which made him twitch with bliss. "I don't know. You're actually the second mammal I've ever been attracted to. The first one was my ex wife. So I can't really answer, I'm attracted to whom I'm attracted to. I hope it's enough of an answer."

"Yeah." Answered the cat who could barely focus on what the buffalo was saying with the stroking. It put a smile on the chief's face. He extended an arm that he brought under the cat's shoulder pulling him up, as he leaned. They ended up lying down face to face, the cheetah slightly over his partner, all according to the buffalo's plan. He had chosen that position because he couldn't really lie on his side with his horns in the way. The right arm went around the cheetah's back, pushing him up and against the buffalo's large chest. It seemed the chief had pulled Clawhauser into a hug, which the feline had trouble realizing. A hoof crept up and resumed the stroking, which made the cheetah go completely limp and put on an expression of complete bliss. After a few seconds, he inadvertently started purring and immediately tensed up, looking up at the chief with embarrassment. He answered with a kiss, not stopping his movement. The blissful expression came back and he could relax again.

The buffalo had to admit, he was perfectly serene. He had feared the physical interaction wouldn't feel natural. Even with the amount of research he had done, something that he would never talk about. Simply having the feline against him and hearing him purr was enough to make him smile.  
With digestion and the stroking, the purr slowly turned into a light snoring and the chief put an arm under his head to get comfortable. Though he could have woken the feline, he was in no hurry to see him go, and he felt especially good. At this instant, seeing him sleep with this contempt expression, he was certain he had made the right choice.

...

The cat blinked a few times, awaking to a gentle face. "I fell asleep." The face nodded, and he crawled up to kiss it. The slumber slowly left him, and his mind cleared in the kiss. "Is it late ?"

"Around 11PM." It actually was late.

The feline's face heated up in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have fallen asleep. But with the digestion... And you were so comfortable."

"You were, too."

Clawhauser felt his face heat up even more and a few thoughts came to mind, some of which were exciting, but also too embarrassing to share, at least that soon. "I should go, I shouldn't spend the night here... I mean, not yet..." He noticed that he was way more awkward with the chief than with any of the mammals he had dated before. He mostly knew why, and hoped he would get past those barriers.

"It's a bit soon for that, yes. I'll drive you home."

"Oh you really don't have to." He said, waving his paws.

"I want to." And the chief did. It meant spending a bit more time with the cheetah, which he had come to realise he couldn't really get enough of.


	11. Dates and Announcements

_**Foxlover91 :** Sadly, this chapter isn't focused on that new couple. Good news though, I have an endless cheese wheel. **  
**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 11 :** Dates and Announcements_

 _En of July 2019_

It was his day off and like every time he could sleep late, he did. Being nocturnal meant he could sleep most of the morning without so much as opening an eye. Well it did mean that until the bunny had come to live with him, not that he complained. More time awake, meant more time with her, something that always brought him joy. That morning however he wasn't awoken by her pulling closer for a hug before getting up and making some coffee. His arm reached to her side and grabbed nothing. He reluctantly opened an eye, and then another, and then grabbed his phone to look at the time. It was almost 11PM. She had actually let him sleep. That was nice of her, but his sleeping schedule could so easily reverse to night time that he felt a bit annoyed. The smell of coffee was present however and his ears perked up. He put on a pair of boxers and left the bedroom, to find a fully clothed bunny. "Were you going somewhere ?"

She was preparing a basket with food and bottles of water and juice while humming distractedly.

"I actually came back from somewhere." She gave him a deliberately mysterious smile. He decided not to pry, if she had a surprise for him, he'd hate to spoil it. "Coffee ?"

"Yes please."

She poured it and put the stove on with a pan on it.

"I can do the pancakes fluff." She went around the table and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Can't I spoil my fox ?"

He gave him a suspicious glance. "Do you have some sort of bad news to announce ?"

"I'm pregnant." She deadpanned.

"It's Clawhauser's, isn't it ?" He answered in a falsely scandalized tone.

"Yes."

"What are we going to do with it ?"

"Give it to him and the chief, obviously."

"Obviously." He smiled and sipped his coffee.

She poured some pancake mix on the pan and made a couple of them, knowing that the vulpine didn't eat a lot in the morning.

"Thanks fluff."

"You're welcome sweetheart. By the way, I have something to show you outside, could you dress up before noon ?"

"Of course."

He then took a quick shower before putting some clothes on. She led him down the stairs and in front of the building.

"So what was it you wanted to show me ?" He heard a loud beep coming from the car parked right in front of the apartment building. She was holding a set of key. It was a nice cop blue Mustang convertible. The paint was partly worn, but it overall looked in good shape. Even though it was certainly second-hand, those models were actually pricey.

"Holy crap, Carrots, you bought this ?"

"Yup."

"What for ?"

"Well, I remember you saying that a car was very handy. And to be honest, I thought that we should have one."

"How much did it cost ?"

She put herself on her toes and pecked his cheek again. "That, slick, is my business. Yours is to take me on a date." She climbed in the passenger seat and opened the roof by pressing a button. He took the driver seat and adjusted it to his size. "I thought we should keep our dating low-key ?"

"Then you'll have to find somewhere discreet. You know the city do you ?"

"So that what the food-basket was for. A picnic."

"Precisely."

The fox scratched his chin reflectively before starting the engine. It roared nicely, a nice sound to his ears. "I may know a place." He pulled off and started driving.

"Where are we going ?"

"You had a surprise for me, I know have one for you." He chuckled. She answered with a giggle as he took a large avenue. "I must ask though, how did you come up with the money for this ?"

"I'm a bunny. The family business may be running well, but it has to feed 275 stomachs. We learn to save money soon. And since I'm living with you, it cuts my expanse a lot. So I had enough for this. And I still have some savings."

"Sheesh Carrots, and I thought I was smart with my money."

While he was driving he glanced at what kind of equipment the car came with. The car radio wasn't really new, it took CDs but it didn't have an USB port, which was really rare in this day and age. He'd have to switch for newer one. No A/C either, but on a convertible, was it really useful ? The interior was tidy. The car had either hadn't been used a lot, or had been renovated. He looked at the mileage counter, it showed less than thirty thousand kilometers. Whoever had owned it before hadn't used it a lot and probably had kept it sitting around before selling it.

He had been driving north for quite sometimes and they had passed the Rainforest district and were now in the Meadowlands. It was a suburban area, and she knew it had some forests up north. It was actually where he led them. He took a little road and found a place he could park the car.

"Do you know this place ?" She asked.

"Yes and no. There are a lot of woods in those parts. I know some of them. I hope I'll find someplace nice."

"I'm sure you will." She took the basket from the trunk and gave the fox a folded blanket.

They walked through the wood for a bit as the bunny led the way, careful to remember some landmarks to find their way back. A large three there, a strange looking rock there. "Aren't you afraid of getting lost ?" He asked tauntingly.

"I'm a country bunny, I know how to find my way in the woods."

He slowly crept up behind her. "But the woods can be dangerous. Full of hungry predators."

"I have a basket full of food, and a slow running fox just in case." She quipped, which owed her to have a pair of claw run on her sides. "Eeek, stop it !"

"What if the predator is the slow running fox ?"

She let go of the basket to try and defend herself but he had anticipated it and blocked her arms against herself, letting himself stumble on her and rolling to break the fall and not crush her.

"Nick !" She tried to protest, but was shut down when a mouth captured hers and paws ran up her back in a slow caress. The kiss broke, and he teased her with his lips. She felt the claws come out and slowly run from her back to her ribs and belly. "Nick, we're in the middle of the forest !" She articulated, out of breath.

"You're right, we shouldn't act like animals." The claws didn't come off, however and started slowly crawling up, sending shiver in the bunny's spine. "I could set up the food, I'm dying to eat some bunny..."

"Then, you should unfold the blanket..." She grabbed his collar and kissed him passionately. "…And eat your bunny before it cools off."

"Yes ma'am."

...

The blanket was set up and so was the food. Two mostly naked and satisfied mammals were lying next to each other and enjoying their meal.

"I noticed." Said the fox, biting in his sandwich.

"Noticed what ?"

"You mostly let me initiate sex."

The bunny was chewing on a carrot stick. "Is that a question ?" She asked with a discreet smile.

"I'm wondering why. Not that I'm complaining or anything, it's just a reflexion."

She took another carrot stick and played with it a bit nervously. "Well, you see, I'm a bunny. You already know that our promiscuousness isn't a complete legend."

"Way to understate it." He taunted.

"Shut up. Anyway, since I know I have a higher sex drive than you, but that yours is still quite high on its own, I prefer to let you initiate."

"Aren't you afraid I could initiate while you're not in the mood."

"Sweetheart, I'm always in the mood. And not like you males say 'always in the mood'. Since we've started being in a relationship, no, since I started having feelings

for you, It's like a constant. With the occasional spike."

The fox's eyes had widened. "And the suppressants do nothing to help you."

"Oh, believe me they do. You were lucky I was in a cast and under painkillers the couple of night I didn't have them at the hospital. If I stopped taking them now, you would feel it." She ended her sentence with a chuckle and sipped at the orange juice bottle.

"How different is it ? If it's not too personal." Nick inquired, a bit embarrassed.

"Well it's very personal, but you're involved, so I think it's better that you know. Just in case. The impulse kicks in when we hit puberty. It's overall higher for males, but we females can pike way higher on our 'horny scale'. I won't explain to you when those pikes happen, I'm sure you can guess. "

"I think I do."

"Perfect. When I'm under suppressants, it's just a desire. I see you or I think of you, and I just want to be against you. Without the suppressant, it becomes an urge."

"You mean you're constantly going against your desire? It must be hard."

"Knowing that I can fulfill it helps to dampen it. It was a lot harder to deal with when we weren't together. And especially when I hadn't realized I was in love with you yet. I sometimes felt like my suppressants weren't working straight." The fox suddenly felt the urge to hug his bunny. He had felt like he had a hard time dealing with his emotions prior to his declaration, but it seemed to be nothing compared to what she had endured. "Hey, I'm okay."

"You deserve a hug. I wouldn't be able to deal with half of this."

"Foxes... So emotional."

He nuzzled her between the ears. "That's why you love me." Judy slid in a more comfortable position before resuming her explanation.

"So, the suppressant are really necessary for us to function. Few mammals know it, but mice and rats actually need them too. It's less advertised but it's true. You know, I'm kind of glad that you're a fox, I mean, aside from the fact that you wouldn't be you if you weren't one... You see what I mean ?"

"Because I'm not constantly after your butt ?" He said, playing with her tail.

"That too. But no. It means I don't need the pill. No risk of getting pregnant. It's another reason of our reputation of being highly emotional. Pill plus suppressant, perfect mix to throw the hormones off balance. As a result we get highly emotional."  
Nick lifted a surprised brow. "Really ?"

"It's true we're highly emotional to begin with, but with this added bonus, we can set records... I'm rambling a bit, I'm not boring you, I hope ?"

"No, I'm actually interested. If we're to spend our lives together, I want to know as much as I can."

The bunny sighed in relief. "You're kind of the only one I can't vent that to. Bunnies, live with it and don't complain about it to each other, and I don't see myself talking about it with mammal of other species."

"I think every species has shit to deal with. The fact that we all have our problems doesn't mean that they cancel each other." Said Nick supportively, which the bunny appreciated.

"Fun fact : bunnies in couple sometimes purposely drop the suppressants for a couple of days. It's called a marathon."

The fox gave her an interested and slightly horny look. "Could we try that sometime ?"

"I don't know, I think I could kill you." Taunted the bunny.

"I know of worse ways to die."

"True." She laughed. "It's a method that is also used to have babies."

"Really ?"

"I know my parents did it." She said with a provocative smile.

"I don't even want to know how you know."

"Thin walls."

"I said I didn't want to know." He chuckled. "Now I'm imagining it. Oh gods." That sent them in a short fit of laugh.

The meal finished, they put the remains back in the basket. Nick, standing on the blanket stretched , showing off what remained of the muscles he had put on during the investigation. He had lost a bit, but not that much, and the back muscle hadn't moved, and given his life rhythm, it probably was here to stay. He felt the bunny's paw run from his shoulder to the middle of his back and slowly down to his tail, turning around his waist, the other arm getting on the other side. She buried her face in his red fur.

"Hope I'm not bothering you." Came the muffled voice.

"Not at all." He said, stretching again, and bending his muscles for good measure.  
The paws slightly moved. "And now ?"

"Gah."

"Weren't you going to put your clothes back on ?" The bunny asked tauntingly, paws moving slowly and sensually.

"Not anymore." He said, turning and lifting her up to kiss her. She wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Good."

...

"You know, for cops, we're breaking the rules quite a lot." Said Nick.

The bunny was driving with a smile. "Public indecency, fraternization with a direct subordinate..." The thought was strange. Some time ago she never would have believed she could go against rules without even thinking about it.

Suddenly, Nick's phone beeped and he took it out. It seemed his mother had left a message on his phone. The place they were on the meadowlands had was too far off to let him have any network connection. He decided to listen to it.

"Hey Nick ? It's your mother. We've not seen each other since your time in the hospital. What about we have dinner together ? At my place, maybe this evening ? Call me as soon as you get this message. And give a kiss to Judy from me and Fin. Love you."

The vulpine looked at the time. With the meal and the physical activity, they had napped almost all afternoon and it was already 5:30PM. He hoped it wasn't too late to confirm. "Mom is inviting us to dinner."

"This evening ? Why not."

He gave her a peck on the cheek. "And this is from her and Fin. I'm going to call her back to confirm." He dialed his mother number. It barely rang before she picked it up.

"Hello son. You got my message ?"

"Hi mom. Yeah, I got your message, it's okay for us tonight. Sorry if that's a bit late to confirm."

"That's okay. Are you still good for 7PM ?"

"Sure."

"See you soon then."

"See you soon." He put back the phone in his pocket. "So dinner at my mom's tonight, 7PM."

"I'm going to have to change clothes when we get home. And maybe we should go and buy something. Think she'd like a bottle of wine ?"

"Of course. And flowers. Moms everywhere deserves flowers."

"That, they do."

Coming back to their place and changing took them almost an hour, the fox had really drove them far off in the meadowlands, not that it had bothered Judy, after all, they wanted to be alone. They quickly went out afterwards to find a nice bottle of wine and a bouquet of flowers. They went to Nick's mother's through the ZUG, finding a parking spot could prove tricky in the city. They rang and entered the building, and climbed up. Vivienne was waiting for them at the door.

"Nick, Judy ! It's so nice to see you !" She gave each of them a tight hug and invited them in. "Fin, put down the paint, the guest are here !" She called through the flat.

"'Comin' Vi." Came the fennec's deep voice. They heard the sound of water running and rustling of clothes sound. And a fennec dressed in his usual shirt and cargo pants arrived in the hallway. "Hey y'all, how'ya doin' ?" He greeted them in turn.

"Hi Fin." They answered. "Still in your paintings ?"

"Neck deep."

"It shows." Said Nick pointing at a splash of paint under his chin.

"Crap, missed a spot. Be right back." And he disappeared again. Vivienne had found a vase and had filled it with water to put the bouquet in. She looked at the bottle.

Red wine. She placed it on the counter for later. "So, how is it to be back on active duty."

"It's so good !" Declared the bunny. "I actually feel like I'm getting some work done."

"You know you get as much work done doing paperwork." Said Nick with a little smile.

"Not the same."

"True. Filling a file is not as rewarding as tackling a pickpocket. And certainly not as fun."

The bunny was about to contradict him, but she had to admit it was true. She didn't do that job for the fun of it, but she prefered the physical part of her duty.

The older vixen smiled and patted their shoulders. "Since you're here I have a surprise for you. Well a couple of surprises actually." She led them to the living room. They were hit by the scent of paint and terebenthine. They had pulled a sheet as a makeshift curtain, cutting the room in two. She pulled it to show what was behind as the fennec reappeared. "Makin' dem visit my workshop ?"

"If that's okay with you."

"Still is yo' place, Vi." She didn't really consider it only her place anymore since he payed half the rent. They took a look inside and saw a few blank canvas and a few half-painted ones. "Tha's where I'm working. But the surprise is 'dere he said pointing in his back. At the other end of the room, on the wall their back was previously facing were four vertical paintings. They had been done one wood instead of canvas and were no more than fourty centimeters high. Each of them represented Vivienne, Nic, Finnick, and on the far left, a male fox that the bunny didn't recognize.

"Holy crap." Nick had to put a paw in his mouth. "You painted dad !" A flow of contradicting emotions filled his mind as he approached the painting to look at it in more details. He noticed he had too few vivid memory of him, the only image left was him on his hospital bed. There was a big ball on his throat that he had a hard time to swallow. He felt two paws, one on his shoulder from his mother, and when taking his paws from Judy. He turned to face the fennec who looked slightly uncomfortable.

"It's a good painting." And single tear rolled down his cheek. "A really good painting."

"Glad yo' like it. I wanted to paint the Wilde family, yo' mom insisted that I put one of myself on the wall. Hope 'dats okay with you."  
Nick turned to look at the painting of Finnick. "I think it's its place, but maybe you should put it next to mom's."  
The fennec had a strange scoff. "Yeah, she said the same thing. Anyway, I have another thing to show you." He went back to the unfinished painting and took one of them. It was an unfinished one of Judy, in the same format.

The bunny gasped. "You can't ! I mean, I'm not part of-"

"You are to me." Cut the vixen.

"To me too." Added Nick. "And that ring isn't only for show. He said, taking her paw."

Vivienne and Finnick's mouth slightly opened in surprise. The vixen finally articulated. "You proposed !"

"Yup !"

"Not too soon, kid !"

Nick turned to the fennec with a joking smile. "Why, did you already propose to my mom ?"

"Actually..." She said, raising her own left paw, which had a ring on it. It was a nice simple silver ring, with a pair of small topaz and emerald embedded in it.

"Holy shit !" Muttered the fox. "That's fantastic !" He said, suddenly hugging both his mother and soon-to-be father-in-law. "Have you decided on a date ?"

"Well, no, but soon. We don't want something big, or anything. Just the two of you and us." Explained the vixen. "By the way, Judy, I'd like you to be my maid of honor."

"What ?" She asked surprised. "I'm honored, but don't you have someone closer, or... I mean, I'd be glad to do it."

"Judy, I don't know if you've noticed but I don't have a lot of acquaintances. I spent most of the years before Nick came back into my life retired from the world. Apart for my work. I'm not saying that asking you as my maid of honor is the default choice either, I really want you to be it."

"In that case I'd be glad to do it." She said, hugging the vixen.

Finnick casually turned to Nick. "Oh, by the way, you're my best mammal."

"Sure." And they simply fistbumped on it. The females glanced at them in disbelief and the male simply shrugged at them.

"Males."

"Males. Oh, and of course we'd also like you both as our witnesses." Added the vixen.

Nick and Judy nodded "Of course !"

At the same time the discussion ended, the stove rang, signaling it was time to set up the table. Nick and Judy did it while Finnick and Vivienne prepared the plates. The vixen had prepared a roasted mushroom pie. She usually put chicken in it too, but since the bunny was here, she had chosen to go for a vegan option. Sometimes, the bunny wondered if it was bothering her predator friends to always be careful to avoid using meat when preparing a meal when she was invited. Nick had explained that it probably didn't. It was an usual problem in predators and prey relations, with which the predators had learned to live with.

When the dessert came, ice cream with whipped cream, Finnick and Vivienne looked a bit awkward, something Nick was quick to notice.

"Do you have another surprise for me ?"

"There is actually another reason why we want to marry..." Seeing his mother being a bit shy about something wasn't very usual to Nick, and even less coming from Finnick. It kind of put him on edge.

"Yes ?"

The vixen took an inspiration and spilled it. "We'd like to adopt."

"Huh ?"

"I can't really have kids anymore, or not without risk. And me and Fin... We'd like to have a kid. Not that I want to replace you, but I wanted to talk about it with you before we went through the administrative process."

The fox was a bit dumbfounded. He had absolutely not seen that coming. Judy looked at him with apprehension in the growing awkward silence.

"Okay ?" He said. "I mean, I don't really have a say in that. I don't have anything against it. I mean are you asking for my permission ? Because it's not really something you need."

"We just don't want it to be awkward."

"Good job with that." He taunted, lifting a thumb. "But I think it's a good idea. I mean, the two of you separately managed to make a half-decent fox out of me. I think together, you can't really screw that up."

The vixen gave a deep sigh. "I was a bit nervous about announcing that to you." Nick went to hug his mother.

"I understand why. But I'm really okay with it."

"Hey kid, you're going to be a big brother !"

Nick tensed up slightly, that last comment reviving the memories of Mike in his mind. "Yeah, that's nice. I guess. Judy, how is it to have brothers and sisters ?"  
The bunny that had been surprised as much as Nick and that had stayed out of the conversation made a smile. "It's like living with hellspawns you're not allowed to send back to their realm."

"Good thing I'm not around here a lot then."

Nick was truly perfectly okay with his mother and Nick having a kid. He felt like the reason why they had waited so long to get together was him. Maybe if he had found the courage to get home, they would have declared to each other sooner too. And they would already have had a kid together. In any case, he had no doubt they were both qualified enough to handle the task.

...

The two mates had gone back to their flat, sitting on the couch to relax for a bit, when an idea came to Nick's mind.

"Speaking of marriage, I know Fin and my mother want something really small, but what do you want ? I mean, I'm pretty open to anything on this, I never had a lot of expectation about my love life before meeting you."

"Well, I know my parents won't ever let me live it down if I don't have a proper bunny marriage." She said pensively.

"And what kind of marriage are those ?"

Judy had a little apologetic smile. "The complete opposite of small. We send invites to the extended family. Traditional bunny marriages can go from two hundreds to one thousand guests."

Nick's mouth fell slightly.

"We usually use the local stadium or party hall if it's big enough. Else, it takes place in a field."

The fox was trying to figure out the logistic of such an event. "Wait, how are we supposed to pay for such a marriage ?"

"I knew you'd get stuck here. Bunny marriage aren't like the others. First, everyone brings something. There is usually enough to feed an army. And most bunny weddings are in fact multiple weddings. With extended families it's usually simpler to get everyone gathered once a year. I once saw seven couples get married at once. Plus, there is rarely any need to hire any helping paws. We just do everything ourselves. However the amount of organization it needs is completely crazy."

"And you want a marriage like that ?" Asked the fox, aghast.

Judy scoffed. "Absolutely not, but I can't really avoid it. Marrying a fox, I think I can at least put on this effort for my parents. I'll let them handle the logistics though. There are limits to my abnegation."

"So basically, we'll just go there, get married, and get back in the city ?"

The bunny elbowed him lightly. "We'll at least have to spend a few days there. You can't just come and go, and pass off as some sort of sly fox getting away with the bride. We wouldn't want that." She leaned against him, suddenly feeling a bit tired. She gave a big and adorable yawn.

"No we wouldn't." He pushed her toward the bedroom door. "Let's go sleepyhead."


	12. Weeks Apart

_**Chapter 12 :** Weeks Apart_

 _Beginning of August 2019_

"So how went that first week ?" The fox's face had appeared on the bunny's phone. She was staying in a room at the ZPD's academy for duration of the two weeks she would spend helping and teaching there.

"Those small mammals are a catastrophe waiting to happen, but you don't know the worst."

"What ?"

"Friedkin told me I was like them in the beginning !" She said with a scandalized expression.

"You mean, unfocused ?"

"No. I wasn't taking it all seriously enough ! I think I'm beginning to get why she was so hard on me."

"Heh. She was hard on my case too, pushed me harder than the others. At least I was only aiming for corporal. Short six months formation. You were aiming for the lieutenant rank, so it was two years, right ?" The bunny nodded. "Do any of the recruits aim for it too ?"  
The bunny sighed and slumped her head. "No they're all aiming for the lower position. Most of them think they can go up the rank easily once in the field."

"Oh, lazy and complacent. What a nice combination."

"Isn't it ?" She asked in a muffled infuriated tone, face in the pillow.

"Isn't there any of them that are worth anything ?"

The bunny lifted her head back up. "Two of them actually. They're not really good, but at least they look like they are really driven."

The fox installed himself comfortably. Knowing the bunny, she had more to say. "I arrived monday and I was mostly getting installed. First two days, I only watched.

They were a mess in fitness, but some of them could actually handle the guns."

"And those you seem to have a slight hope for ? How did they fare ?"

"There is a rat named Louis Buster. He has a really dark sense of humor, and I'm pretty sure he has a criminal background. He didn't have any criminal records though, and he's really respectful of the rules. Maybe he's a bit too by the books. The other, get ready, is a Capybara."

"No way !" The fox was really surprised.

"He's named Arthur Cavid. He's small for his species, maybe an inch taller than you are. I've never seen him look anything but calm, even when Friedkin gives him a ribbing. Anyway, I've seen them shoot, and they're not past the point where they're afraid of their gun."

"Those things pack a punch. I had a hard time getting used to them."

"Yeah. As for physical training, they had to get to the obstacle course. None of them could complete the whole thing. The capybara got stuck on the ice wall. The rat fell in the mud, missed a ladder bar."

Nick saw having flashback of his time in the academy. It had been hard, but overall it was a good memory.

"Anyway, I got to give them a few pointers during self-defense and boxing. One of them, a rabbit, I don't remember his name, had the guts to tell that without the rope trick, I couldn't put a rhino to the ground."

Nick winced. "Let me guess, you had to actually prove him wrong."

"There was no rhino available. I had to make due with a buffalo. He never saw my foot coming. Those guys really have a thick skull you know ?" She was smiling a bit guiltily.

"Was it enough to make him swallow back his remark ?"

"Maybe I had to put his face in the ground too." The fox lifted a brow, it was unusual for the bunny to get physical without good reason. "He made a pass at me." She explained.

"You broke his nose, didn't you ?"

"Yeah." She said with the same guilty tone. "Anyway, I had to explain and show that since we don't have enough strength to easily take down large mammals, we had to tire them. So, the most important thing they had to physically develop was their cardio. I think that when I explained that I spent all of my free time working out, some of them were really considering quitting."

"A dose of realism can do a lot of good. I didn't have it as hard as you, but again, I didn't aim for lieutenant."

"True. And you, how was your week ?"

Nick winced for a second time. "It was a bit of a mess. Believe it or not, the ZIA is very bad at communication. You know those spy flicks where you get an address and password to give to a guy and he lets you enter a secret facility under an old and worn building ?"

"Yeah ?"

"Well they're full of crap. Not the old and worn front though. Except that once you get inside, you feel everyone's eyes on you until you've presented yourself to the old sheep behind the desk. She was surprised to see I was actually clear to enter. Anyway, she gave me the location of my desk, a badge, and that's it. No one came to help me get started, so I basically went down to the archives and asked to enter, badge in hand. I think the ram almost called security on the spot. He ran my badge for the hell of it, and would you believe it, I was actually clear to enter that too."

"Found anything interesting ?"

"A lot. But nothing I'm really authorized to say. Just so you know, I think a fifth of th road accidents of these last ten years weren't actual accidents. And you really, really, don't want to got take a swim in the canal district."

"Oh gods." She said putting a paw to her mouth.

The fox seemed to actually have had fun at least. "Oh, and I also got to put an eye in the active file. There is so much stuff happening in this city that the ZPD has no idea about. Drug rings, mammal trafficking in places you wouldn't expect. There make links between new cases and some so cold they could come from the depths of Tundratown. There are some conspiracy theories going around in that place... I'll see if I can have some of those things get relayed to the ZPD, it could helps us a lot. Anyway, I got to talk to a few agents. Most of them seem to not actually give a crap about the law. I didn't mention why I was there, and I don't think any of them knew at the time, until Director Barklin called for an exceptional global meeting. There were all those guys in the cafeteria, all were carrying a piece, and I think not half of them had an actual clearance to do so. The director told them why I was there and that there was going to be a whole bunch of new regulations on the way they handle their work. Let me tell you, there was more groaning than when the chief put half of the precinct on mandatory security detail for the new year festival. I think some of them were already putting in place a plan to get rid of me."

"Get rid of you how ?" She asked worriedly.

"I clearly heard the words, 'cement', 'chains' and 'canal'. No worries though, he threatened them to let Jack loose on their ass if they didn't comply with my directives, or if anything happened to me. Instant magical dead silence."

"This isn't an institution, it's a mob in disguise."

"It is. I got to speak to the guys. Most of them are nice. Very cynical though, but I suppose it comes with the job. They really are doing what they think is right for the city, and they don't give two shits about the consequences on their lives. Probably because they don't actually have lives. Some of them told me their stories from before they got in the ZIA. If you thought I had it bad, it was pretty much paradise compared to some of them. I think I got a few of them on my side when I explained that the goal was that the city would need them less, and that part of the chaos was due to the fact that the ZIA didn't have any restraint. Some of them stayed very skeptical though."

"Figures. And even for those willing to change, I'm sure it won't come easy."

The fox gave a resigned sigh. "Probably. Won't keep me from trying anyway. Oh, and I got a bit more info on our favorite psycho bunny. Jack is kind of a legend. I heard the craziest stuff about him. If even half of it is true, I think I will really try and not cross him. Most of them think he will end up replacing Barklin. Another reason to try and make friend."

"Do you think you will manage ?"

"As long as he ends up believing what I do will be good for the city, I'm pretty sure he'll be on my side."

* * *

 _Beginning of August 2019_

It had been a bit longer than two weeks since Clawhauser and Bogo had started dating. To the cheetah, the fact that they had to hide their relationship felt slightly exciting, and it was the same for the buffalo, but they both feared that the fact that they couldn't really have a date outdoors would slowly put a monotonous spin on their relationship.

The chief had spent a bit of time to peel the regulations layers on officer fraternization. Since he technically wasn't the direct superior to the cheetah, a thing that he had to double check, hierarchy could sometimes get a bit fuzzy, they weren't doing anything wrong.

But none of them were blind enough to believe that outing themselves would be a good at the moment. The city was still suffering from the cumulative stigmatas of the Nighthowler's, Bellwether's and Lycus' case. And the buffalo was the chief of Precinct One, a figure of authority, he couldn't take the risk of undermining his authority with his subordinates and tarnish his image at the moment. Four months after the last big crisis was too soon.

Given the mayor's reaction to hearing that Nick and Judy were an item, he supposed his career wouldn't suffer, but he wasn't really afraid for it. He was more concerned by the repercussions it could have on the peace of the city.

In any case, he still had a fleeting happiness feeling as he was tidying up his place while waiting for the cheetah to arrive. They had spent three evenings together, and the cheetah had accepted to be his spotter on the benchpress during his day off. The buffalo didn't really need one, but : A. He still needed to keep his body in top shape, and it meant he couldn't skip training, B. He didn't want for the cat to have nothing to do and get bored while he was lifting. C. Seeing the feline struggle to keep his paws to himself and not oggle him while he was lifting bare chested was pretty enjoyable. In any case, he had decided to change his schedule a bit, accepted to delegate parts of his task to MacHorn, a thing that he technically had to do in the first place, to have a bit more time to spend with his lover.  
Thinking about the cheetah that way extended his grin and he had to fight back a bit. He always felt like he looked like a moron when smiling too widely, a trait that he found that most stern mammals shared.

The doorbell rang and he went to open it, showing a bubbly cheetah that he leaned to embrace. The feline hung his arms to his neck, and the buffalo lifted him up, making his lover give an amused squeal.

The couple went through the chief's place like this, and slumped on the couch.

"What's the afternoon's program ?" Asked the cat.

"I thought we could watch a few series and then order some food."

"Lazy afternoon ?"

"Pretty much." The simple idea of using an afternoon to do nothing would have been unthinkable a few weeks back, but doing that with Clawhauser felt like the opposite of a waste of time.

The cat stood up and went to the laptop hooked to the TV. "Is there anything particular you'd like to watch ?" The chief shrugged, he was more interested by the perspective of spending time with the cheetah than to look at the screen. "You have absolutely no idea what series are good or bad, do you ?"

"I never watch TV. Aside from the news. And even then, I mostly know of them before they come out."

The feline stopped in his tracks. "Have you ever used your free time unproductively ? To relax for instance."

"No." Most mammals would've had an uncomfortable glance to the floor, but not the chief. He wasn't a buffalo that happened to be the chief of police, he was the chief of police that happened to be a buffalo.

"I'm not taking up the time you could use in a better way, am I ?" Asked the cheetah a bit worriedly.

The buffalo had to get up and put his hooves on feline's shoulder to answer that question. "I have absolutely no idea how I could use my time in a better way."  
Clawhauser's face instantly heated. In any other mammal's mouth, it would have been the cheesiest line ever uttered out loud. But he had delivered it with such seriousness and certainty that it just made the chubby cat melt inside. Which is why he had to fight himself to not turn into a puddle of satisfied flesh when arms wrapped around him and kissed him deeply.

A bit out of breath after the kissed had stopped he said. "So we were going to choose a series ? Was that it ?"

"You were."

"Okay right. Choose something to watch. I can do that. Maybe." He went to look at the selection of series on pawflix. Something new or something old ? If the chief had no series culture, better to try for something old but easy to watch. Why not something that left a big print on pop culture. Doctor Moo ? No, the old episodes could be a bit dull, and it was overall too weird for first-timers. Something aimed at a wider audience maybe ? Oh yes ! That was going to be good. He made his selection, set it to play and went back to the couch, leaning in the chief's arms.

"What are we going to watch ?" He asked, as his question was answered by the title that appeared on the screen. 'Wallaby the Vampire Slayer'. The title made on of his eyebrow slightly raise up and the theme song wasn't totally unfamiliar. The series was about a female Wallaby that fought and slayed all sorts of vampires and demons. At first the chief had trouble getting the appeal. Though the series was old, the effects were still bad for its time, but it seemed to have been done on purpose. All the characters seemed cliché but a few episodes later he was hooked. The show was really fun and it seemed there was way more under the surface than it showed at first.

They made a pause to stretch a bit and the cheetah left to go to the bathroom for a bit. When he came back, he lied down on the couch without putting the show back on. "You don't want to keep watching ?" Asked the chief.

"Well, last time, you had to train around this hour. I thought maybe we could make a pause and..."

The buffalo smiled. "I actually did that this morning so we'd have the whole afternoon for ourselves."

"Oh. Okay." The cheetah bit his lip, confirming the chief's suspicions.

"But if you want me to get rid of my t-shirt that much, you can simply ask." He said, approaching his face and nipping the feline's neck.

A shiver ran through his body. Could he really dare to ask that ? "I wouldn't mind." He heard himself utter. The realisation of what he had just said sank in when the buffalo actually got rid of the piece of clothe. Noticing that the cat had completely frozen with a half-smile, he leaned forth, pushing his shoulder and kissing him deeply. The cat slumped back on the couch, accompanied by the buffalo.

Not able to keep his paws to himself, he ran them on the bovine's short fur, detailing the design of his muscles. The chief felt the strange sensation of the purr in his mouth, rumbling from the feline's chest. He pulled back a bit to take back his breath.

"Sorry."

"I don't mind, it's nice." And it was. Getting that direct a feedback from his partner was really endearing. "Can I ?" He had opened the cat's shirt's first button.

"Of course !"

Lips locking again, the buffalo helped the feline get rid of his shirt and turned the couch back into a bed. Soon, they were fur against fur, paws on eachother's body, each of them feeling and longing for the other. Though the cat was more on the chubby side, the buffalo went and placed himself on his back. With his larger frame and stronger weight, he was afraid he could crush him. And it also gave his partner a bigger liberty of movement. He had to admit, intimacy with a female was pretty straightforward, but he was a bit at loss about what to do now. The feline recoiled a bit.

"You seem a bit hesitant." He said.

The chief gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm not really experienced with this."

"You mean, wiith males ?"

"Yeah."

The cat crawled back up with a purr, which only heightened the chief's excitation. "Want me to take the lead ?"

"Yes."

Clawhauser had feared the chief would back down, but he seemed really into what was happening. If he had to be honest, the buffalo's apprehension was adorable. But maybe it wasn't the right moment to point it out.

Brushing the chief's lips, he took the claws slightly out. Feline's claws were very sharp so he was very careful, and he felt the chief's heart thumped quicker when he ran them on his chest and abs. The way his hooves went to caress his back, he understood that he actually had no problem with that. He folded back the claws and slid the paw downward, unbuckling the buffalo's pants. A hoof went and clenched on his thigh, the other placed itself on his neck, pulling him back up in a burning kiss.  
His paw, still exploring found a reminder that the chief was in fact a buffalo, which made him let escape a giggle. The exploration resumed.  
"Easy on the claws, there." Articulated the bovine between two short breaths.

The cat nipped the corner of chief's large jaw, while throwing away his own pants. "I'll be careful."

If the last kiss had been burning fire, this one amounted to a supernova. The chubby took out his claws again, and slowly crawled down the chief body. He heard a groaned which he assumed was of excitation, and saw the buffalo's hoof clenched on the sheets. The groan turned into a deep moan when he ran his tongue from the bottom of his abs to the tip of his target.

...

The feline was lying sideways, his face resting on the chief's chest, face turned toward his. He was wearing a satisfied smile, really similar to the buffalo's.

"Fast learner." Commented the cat crawling up to kiss his lover.

"Good teacher." Answered the buffalo before their lips met. A loud growl was heard, and the chief caressed the cheetah's belly. "Maybe we should order food."

"Yes please."

"And take a shower." He glanced around. "And change the sheets."

As he was about to move, the feline wrapped his arms around his chest and buried his face in his pectoral with a sigh of satisfaction. Pulling the cheetah up, he lifted him and stood up. Despite the cat's weight, it didn't seem to be an effort to him. He ordered the food online before directing himself to the bathroom. "I'm not too heavy ?" asked a voice from under his chin.

He reached down and grabbed a butt cheek. "Nope, perfect weight."

A giggle came as an answer.

In the large tub, he was half tempted to set the water to cold, the way he usually took his shower, but he already had a set of scars on the forearm and didn't need a new one. He sat down in the tub and fired up the shower.

He had set it to mild but he felt the cat feline shiver against him. "You want me to set it hotter ?"

"I usually take them almost burning hot." He pushed himself a bit more against the buffalo. "I think I'll manage."

The shower took a bit longer than it could have, not that any of them minded. A few minutes after they had gotten out and dried themselves, the food arrived.  
Slumped on the bed, in front of the TV, the two mammals enjoyed another episode of the TV show while eating their pizzas. "Do you like it ?" Asked the cheetah.  
"Yes. It's nice. Clichés turned on their head, the 'princess' beats up the monsters and protects the world." The feline had a loud yawn, and pressed himself more against the buffalo. "Do you want to sleep here tonight ?" A purr was his answer. "I'll change the sheets tomorrow then."

* * *

 _Beginning of August 2019_

It was the second self-defense course she participated in, having only watched during the first one. She had to admit, small-mammals were at a large disadvantage. Large mammals could use their weight and muscles, but the small ones had to rely on swiftness and tools to take down the larger suspects. And the thing was, although she knew how to use her body and surrounding to take out almost any mammals, few mammals had her leg strength.

What they could use was the element of surprise. Unusual tactics. The fact that as small mammals they'd be underestimated. But even then, without weapons, this would inevitably stay their greatest challenge.

But on the field she had discovered a few things. First, every mammal had weak points. Eyes, throat, solar plexus. An elephant trunk could be quite sensible. And the usual swift kick to the balls was perfect to calm any mammal. And since small mammals were lighter and their hit were weaker, using those weak points bore less risk to provoke a lethal injury.

Her goal was to teach the trainees to reach them from any angle, and to show them how to selection the right tool to eliminate the danger. For example, she rarely had the bear handcuffs at hand. They were way too big and heavy to carry around and usually stayed in the cruiser. Instead, she carried a pawful of ziplocks. Light, easy to conceal, quick to use. But they all had to master the traditional equipment and tactics, even though they couldn't really use them. It's something the bunny took notice of. The ZPD training program simply wasn't adapted to small mammals.

"You need to keep your fist aligned with your arm Buster." She was holding the punching pad for the rat. "Quicker, the suspect won't stand right in front of you waiting for your punches."

From what she could see, the rat knew a bit about fighting, but he was extremely defensive, keeping his arms near his face. She sidestepped and gave him a light kick in the thigh.

"I want to see you lighter on your feets. You're not a rhino, you're a rat. I want to see speed in your fists and in your legs."

"Yes ma'am."

"Now punch !"

And he did. The rat had a quick understanding of what was expected of him. He stopped putting all his body in his punches, and only used his arms muscles. Those attacks would never provoke a KO, but could distract and opponent to get in for the finishing blow.

"Up high !" He launched an uppercut.

"Down low !" Elbow blow.

She could see him anticipate the pad placement. He wasn't looking at it but at her arms and joint. Sometimes, his punch were even thrown before the pad actually stopped moving.

"Stop." She said, putting down the pads and approaching him. "Where did you learn to fight ?"

"The street." He shrugged with a smile. "Bad neighborhood, money to make. Fun times."

"Keep what you learned in mind, but try to take in what I'm teaching you, alright ?"

"Yes ma'am." He nodded.

"Cavid you're up. Put on the protections."

The Capybara winced. He had fought the bunny a couple of times and each one of them had ended in a bloody nose or mouth.

The bunny jumped in place a few times, watching the rodent take place on the ring. No punching pad for him. He knew how to avoid attacks, but was a bit too pacific for her taste. He had to get that frame of mind that allowed him to let himself harm another mammal. It was something that had taken time for her to get too, and no amount of punching the pads would help.

"Ready ?" He nodded and they fist bumped. At first glance, the large rodent could seem really static, but she had learnt that it wasn't the case. With his compact frame and short limbs, and despite his training, cardio wasn't his forte. He was actively choosing to save his movements. She tried a simple series of punch that he avoided, with his own series of short and almost slow sidesteps, paws up to give her less of a punching surface.

She deliberately gave him an opening by throwing a poorly aimed kick, but he didn't take up the opportunity. "You can't win a fight if you don't attack Arthur." Sent in a rotation, she launched a high hook under which he dodged. He closed in and threw a couple of punch. The first one connected and made her back down a bit, but didn't hurt. The bunny frowned. She was sure of it now.

Stepping forward, she entered his attack zone with a barrage of easily avoidable fists. "Why do you pull your punches Arthur ?" A backhand punch caught his jaw, but he absorbed it by turning his head. "Is it because I'm a female ?" She swiped one of his leg putting him off balance and launched her shoulder in his stomach, making him stumble. He rolled back on his feet. "Or because I'm a meek cute bunny."

A bit out of breath, the capybara put up his defense. "I just don't want to harm you." He muttered with an apologetic expression.  
She launched a kick powerful enough to open his guard, and a second that only caught his shoulder. Before he could recover his step, he received two lip opening jabs, and tasted blood. She gave him an aggressive glare "Then I'll make you bleed until you do." She hoped her little bout of acting would wake him up, and gave him a third punch for good measure.

"Alright." She heard him say under a loud breath. "Alright." Was there anger in his tone ? If it was what it took to instill in him a bit of combativeness, so be it. His posture changed slightly. His shoulders and back straightened up. He was waiting for her.

She jumped and threw a downward kick that only found the air. She had seen it coming though, and rolled under his fist, trying to swipe his foot again. He moved it the quarter of an inch and launched his knee toward her face. She blocked it with both her paws and rolled back. By his posture, it looked like he hadn't moved. If he was Buster, she would exhort him to be lighter on his feet, but the Capybara's body wasn't adapted to such a combat style. He suddenly launched himself forward, two jabs toward her face and two toward her guts. She received all of them with her open paws, ejected his paws to the side with her forearms and landed a hard kick on his chest. There was a light huff, but she had kicked him lighter than she thought she would. His slight recoiling move had absorbed most of the impact. She only had the time to lift up her guard when a surprise kick came from the side. This one would have knocked her out cold. "That's good Cavid. Very good !" She launched two swift kicks and he caught her left leg on the second. She suddenly felt a cold chill. Despite the knee strap she wore while sparring, she was afraid her knee could get hurt. She twisted her hips and threw a kick powered by her fear with her free leg that only brushed his snout. It was a good thing, because she would have fractured it. She felt him let go of her leg and got in for an attack. Instead of rolling forward to recover, she let herself fall flat on the ground and rolled sideways, using her right leg to jump high enough so he couldn't attack her. She saw him place himself where she was about to land, ready to attack. His punch caught her in the cheek and her kick caught him in the ear.

His inner ear shocked, the capybara stumbled a bit, trying to find back his balance. The bunny felt the thumping in her jaw and the taste of blood. This had been a good punch. For the third time, she launched a leg swipe, and he fell flat on his back, his guard immediately coming up to cover his face.

"Well played Cavid. You're getting the hang of it." She said, offering a paw.

"Thanks Lieutenant." He said gruffly, straightening up.

There was hope yet for those two. She was sad to admit than there was absolutely none for the others however. Most of them performed the exercise she gave only half-heartedly, and she had heard a few of them talking about giving up. Well, it was true, most mammals weren't cut out for police work, too bad they had to realize it that way. But better like that than on the street.

* * *

 _Beginning of August 2019_

Nick wasn't authorized to disclose much about what he was learning at the ZIA but he could see it was different than what it looked like in the first place.

The organization was very tight, and analysts worked around the clock with the intel the field agents fed them. From what info he had gathered, there were little more than fifty people working there, which made the results they got even more impressive.

Director Barklin hadn't completely lied when he had said than he knew as much as the other agent about how the ZIA worked. Each branch was divided, and very few knew of the other's actions. Field agents were the less informed on the other's behavior, and he had only seen a couple of them in the premises. He had asked about it and it happened that it was very unusual to get back to HQ. They mostly used dead drops and secured connexions to communicate.

They all got a bit of formation on the skills they lacked, dispensed by senior agents. Which meant Savage and two others, tops. All those had training in psychology to help monitor the other agents and also doubled as liaison between field agents and the ZIA when it was needed.

Aside from the data analyst, were also the tech mammals divided in two branches : the computer mammals and the engineers. The former were in charge of hacking, conceiving or modifying software, and the latter built special equipment the agents could need.

He now understood why their operations could stay a secret, with so few agents, they really were hard to find. But the thing was, if he was to change the way the agents acted in the field, he needed to see them and talk to them. To watch how they operated, to understand which limitations he could impose and which he couldn't.

And they had to find a way for the ZPD to know about the ZIA operations without risking for those operations to be discovered, and given that the ZPD had been infiltrated a few months ago, it wasn't going to be an easy task to convince the agency.

Maybe he would end up being the only one having the inside knowledge of the ZIA, since he couldn't really know who in the ZPD could or could not be corrupted.  
At that thought, he felt a bit paranoid. Most of his coworkers could be trusted. Could they ? Worst case scenario, he would have to supervise both ZIA and ZPD operations to keep them from colliding.

All those thoughts were swirling in his head while he was waiting on the sofa while browsing the web on his phone. He heard the door open and close and a raccoon stepped in the living room. Instantly, as he saw the fox, he took out his gun and aimed. "Paws up ! Who the hell are... Wait. Are you Nick Wilde ?"

The fox had casually lifted his paws. "Hello Domino. Yes, I am. Could you please take down your weapon ?"

The raccoon's eyes squinted. At second glance he seemed completely exhausted. "Where is Chester ?"

Nick's mindcogs started turning. The raccoon was referring to his ZIA liaison. "I'm replacing him this time." The procyonid slowly put away the gun and approached in small steps.

"What is the great Nick Wilde doing here ?"

"I'm here as a sort of liaison between the ZIA and the ZPD." He took out the document that proved it but the raccoon only glanced at it. "I'd like to ask you a few questions, about this operation and the way you work in general."

The raccoon emitted a sound between a sigh and a snort while making his way to the nearest armchair. "Do you have what I ordered ?" Nick slid a bag toward the other mammal. He had looked inside, it contained surveillance material, and a whole bunch of medication, most of which could only be acquired with a prescription. Nick was pretty sure the agent could have found this stuff on his own, but he understood how he could want to spare himself the hassle. The raccoon took one of the bottle out and popped a couple of pills. From what Nick had read on the box, those were antidepressant. He added a mental note that field agents probably needed more psyche monitoring and support. "Ask away, fox."

Nick put his chin on his paws. "First, could you talk to me a bit about what you're currently doing." Truth was, he had given the agent's file a look, part of it had worried him. For instance, there were some evasive parts. And he had contact with the agency only once every six months. Sometimes even less. Nick needed to know how the raccoon was approaching the assignment.

"I'm working under Vlad. Unearthing a whole lot of intel. Since a bunch of his mammal cargo was released a couple of months ago, he went almost ballistic. Shoots his henchmen for no reason, sees traitors everywhere. The few that stay are new and probably a bit nuts. He's about to try something on Mr Big's turf, and though he's really secretive about it, I can already tell it's going to blow up in his face." The fox almost had a devious smile at Vlad's impending doom. "I've already transferred my report through a secure channel. What else do you need to know ?"

"What kind of task do you accomplish and how do you perform them ?"

"I sell and buy dope. I beat up the problematic mammals who won't pay me or ask too much for it. Standard stuff." Nick could feel the answer was deliberately evasive.

"And how many of those problematic mammals have had accidents ?" The truth was, Nick had read the brief reports the raccoon provided, and nowhere was any mentions of those altercations.

"What is to you ?" From evasive, the raccoon had gone to defensive. It was logical after all. That field agent didn't possess the 'licence to kill', and as Nick had come to understand, it was to deter the agents to make systematic use of violence. The ZIA would try and cover them, hide the evidence, but any agent caught by the ZPD as a criminal would immediately be abandoned and disavowed by the agency.

Nick sighed, obviously the raccoon had no idea what was happening between the ZIA and ZPD at the moment. "Listen, about me being the ZIA and ZPD liaison, I'm not here to arrest you or stop you from doing your job. I'm here to help." The raccoon lifted a brow. "The thing is, the ZIA has been acting on its own for too long. The director, the chief of police and the mayor think it should be held accountable for its actions."

"Yeah, because risking sanction for doing my job is going to help me." Said the black and grey mammal sarcastically.

"There is going to be a transition. We won't just put behind bars the agents that have blood on their paws, it would be counterproductive. And also probably put a big dent in the workforce. My goal here is to help the ZIA and the agents to change their ways a bit. Find a way for them to have limits on what they can and cannot do."  
The raccoon chuckled. "And this will help me how ?"

"How many of those 'accidents' could have been avoided if you had a direct line to the ZPD ? If you had a way to have them taken out of your way without bloodshed ?"

Agent Domino scratched his chin. "Maybe a few..."

"If you had a way to have some big guns to rely on, and not only your wits and the handful of other field agents, how easier would your job be ?"

"Depends on what you mean by 'Big guns.' And how quick they could act."

"I'm talking SWAT teams. So of course, time is needed for preparation. But you could have a direct line to the ZPD and get officers nearby in a whim. And that would also mean zero risk of being arrested along with the targets."

Domino crossed his arms and looked at the fox suspiciously. "And you say it's what Director Pardalis want ? I really can't imagine that."

Nick scoffed. The ZIA really was secretive, even toward its own agents. "Adamska Pardalis is retired. The new director is Jonath-"

"Jonathan Barklin ?" For the first time since had entered the room, the raccoon had a genuine smile. "Jonathan Sears Fucking Barklin ?"

"Yeah...?"

"Oh. My. Fucking. Gods."

"You're a fan ?" Chuckled Nick.

The raccoon leaned back on his seat. "This guy is a legend. I don't know if you know agent Savage, but most of us agent wish we were him. Savage wishes he were Barklin."

Nick wanted to say he had been a temporary agent and there was no way in hell he'd ever want to be like the buck, but he kept it to himself. "Mind explaining why ?"

"Let's just say I read dossiers I wasn't supposed to." Said the raccoon with a sly smile.

Nick frowned. There was obviously surveillance material in the hideout, wasn't he putting himself at risk by divulging how much he knew.

"Don't make this face. They know that I know. Those are really old and cold cases now. To give you an idea, there are a few stories about an agent that would have defected to work under Mr Big, and that was one of the things that propelled the Big's family at the top of the underground food chain."

"Let's say I've heard of it."

The raccoon leaned forward with a really secretive expression. "Believe it or not, this was Barklin's plan. He was the one that pushed that agent on that case, and he knew he would defect. And Barklin was manipulating another crimelord in the shadow to make him an enemy of Big and put him on the path to self-destruction. And he did all this without the support from Pardalis. Total field improvisation. It's all in his reports. And it checks out."

"You make him sound like a perfect manipulator." remarked the fox.

"He's the kind of mammal that can make you eat the bait, the hook, the cane and make you believe it tasted good.."

The fox put that info at the back of his mind. It was good to know.

"Okay, so you see, this is another thing we wish to change. There isn't enough communication with field agents. Some of you, the ones that undertake extended undercover tasks are left on your own. And you have absolutely no idea what is happening at the agency."

"Maybe, but it means we have nothing to say in case of interrogation."

The fox lifted a brow. "Being left in the dark with absolutely no back up can be a bit hard on the nerves don't you think ?"

"We get used to it."

"Or take antidepressants. Whatever works."

The raccoon fell mute for a few seconds. "Okay, I wouldn't be against a bit more communication."

Nick smiled. "Well, I'll see what we can do. Change is on its way. In the meantime, please try to take it easy, especially on the collateral damage."

The raccoon smirked. "We do what we have to."

"Speaking of which, I'd like to get back on topic. Your work. With details this time."


	13. Ceremonies

_I don't know if there was a problem with the review system or anything, but I'll answer both the reviews of Chapter 11 and 12 here._

 _ **Cemsay :** Well, the wedding will come pretty soon. As for what happens after, there is no X-rating options on this site, so..._

 _ **Foxlover91 :** Of course a bunny would by a convertible. Ears flapping in the winds like helicopter blades...  
I'll get to their reactions in later chapters, it shouldn't be that far away in fact.  
Heh, sadly, Domino is more of a device than anything. He was created to show one aspect of Nick's work.  
As for relationships and the reactions to them, it's not my strong suit. I'll get more into that later.  
_

 _ **Jamdea :** I thought about having them getting caught, but with all the shit they went through, I thought they deserved at least one good thing._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 13 :** Ceremonies_

 _Middle of August 2019_

Being together on the job again had felt like a vacation day. Judy had come back from the academy as a big ball of tangled nerves, that the fox had spent an entire evening untying.

A day on the beat was nothing in term of stress compared to their new assignments. Judy had vented her frustrations about the recruits and the fox had simply listened to her. He could have given advice but he hadn't for two reasons. First, he believed she was qualified enough to handle all that on her own. Seconds, she needed an ear, not advice anyway.

The fox had talked a bit about the couple of field agents he had met and the bunny was happy to know that they weren't against the ZIA's restructuration. Strangely, she would have thought there would be more resistance from the field agents than from the desk ones.

In any case, it was the end of the day, and aside from a bit of public disturbance from a couple of drunk elephants, and public indecency from a tiger that was fleeing from his lover's husband, the day had been pretty uneventful. They almost had to arrest the husband too but were able to calm him down before it got out of paw.  
Paperwork sorted out, they had stopped near the front desk to catch their favorite cheetah and offered him donuts in a corner of the cafeteria to smooth his mood.

"So Ben." Began the fox as the feline was biting in a glazed bakery. "How is the chief ?"

"I knew those donuts wouldn't be free." He sighed with a smile. He took another bite, letting them stew a bit.

The bunny was bouncing in place. "So ? So ?"

The cat gave her a side glance, with an impish smile. "Well, he's... Very big." He took another bite, waiting for that first answer to sink in.

"Ben, I know he's big, he's a buff- Oh sweet cheese and crackers ! Ben, it's not what I meant !"

At her side, the fox was chuckling. "Donut-stretching big ?"

Judy turned to him, scandalized. "Nick ! It's not something you can as-"

"You get used to it." Cut the cheetah, with an innocent smile.

The bunny hid her red face in her paws. "Guys ! No ! I don't want this image stuck in my head !"

"Prude country rabbit. But anyway, Ben, really, how are things going between the two of you. It's been about a month now, is it ?"

"Yeah, about a month. I don't really know how to explain how the chief is when we're together..."

"Is he nice ?" Asked the bunny.

"He is. He really is. Like... He's full of little attentions. For example, since we can't really date outside, he buys meat and fish to cook when I come to his flat. He's bought a load of my favorite music to put on while we're together..."

"The chief cooks ?" Asked the bunny.

"He helps when I do."

"Does he talk more when you're alone ? Does he get mushy ? I really can't imagine the chief all lovey-dovey, but I kind of wish he was." Said the fox with an amused smile.

The feline gave a little giggle. "He's not a talker, he's very direct. Maybe a bit less blunt with me when we're alone. And he's not the mushy type. But I didn't think he was much into physical affection when we started dating."

"Ben, I really hope you're not getting back to what I think you're getting back to." Said the bunny with a sigh.

"No, No. He just like being near me. If I pass close, he'll brush me with his tail, or he'll..." He had a dreamy smile for few seconds before taking back his composure.

"Anyway, yeah, he's nice. Too bad we can't really date outside yet. What do you do as inside dates ? I don't want for him to get bored."

"Well, you could set up something to make him meet your family." Proposed the bunny.

The cheetah snorted. "Pass. My family, or at least my parents, didn't take it really well when I came out, so dating outside of my species... The reveal won't be fun. I don't know about his, though. I could ask."

She patted his shoulder. "Family can be harsh. When we came out to mine, it was a bit of a scandal. At least it didn't get out of the burrows."

"Or you could go on a date in the woods in the Meadowlands." Said the fox to change topic. "There are a few nice clearings... It's perfect to eat out." He felt the discreet elbow in his ribs, but his expression didn't betray anything.

The feline's face brightened up. "It's actually a really nice idea." He said standing up. "I'll ask about it next week." He glanced at his phone. "It's getting late, I'm sorry to cut this short but I have to go."

"No worries, we were about to head home too. Have a nice evening."

"You too." He said, going away with the box of donuts.

* * *

 _Middle of August 2019_

Nick had spent so much time in front of the mirror that he was beginning to fear they would end up being late. Then again, he had begun getting ready sooner than he should have. It was an important event. Maybe even more important than when he got into the ZPD. His mother was getting married for a second time, and it made him so happy. It felt like she was finally getting all the happiness she deserved, and he really, really didn't want to screw that up.

He had thrown a bachelor party for Finnick, or at least a makeshift one. They had mostly hung out int the spots where they used to hustle, reminiscing of the past, and sharing a pack of beer. It hadn't been the most crazy of days, not even a party for that matter, but it had been nice to spend time with the fennec. Between the job and his mate, Nick felt like he was neglecting him. Finnick wasn't upset about it though, he knew that he had spent a lot of time undercover, and had barely seen his mate during that time. They had used that time to catch up, promised each other to spend more time together.

Judy had chosen her dress and put it one. She had bought it reluctantly a few days prior. She had never liked this kind of garment, feeling they impaired her movements.

She didn't have much experience in parties, but had tried to make something nice for the vixen. She had proposed her to go clubbing, and had sighed in relief when Vivienne had shut the idea down. Instead, they spent a day at a park near her flat. The vixen told the bunny how she had spent a lot of time with Nick here when he was a kid. Judy wasn't really surprised to learn that Nick had been an outgoing kid, playing and having fun with anyone that would come to him. Judy found out that Vivienne was a bit anxious about what Nick really thought of her second marriage and the fact that she wanted a new kid, but Judy reassured her, explaining that he really had no problem with it.

The time approached and Nick still didn't feel ready. The bunny slid behind him.

"You look perfect, Nick."

"Do I ? I think the bow tie isn't straight." She made him turn and pulled on it a bit.

"It is. It's not your wedding Nick, no need to be so stressed out."

"I just want it to be nice for her."

She took his paws and noticed he was shaking a bit. "Nick, are you alright ?" He shook his head. "Come. You need to sit down." He did and put his head in his paws.

"What is it ?"

The fox exhaled slowly. "I just thought I had put all this behind me. The getting away, the years outside. The pain I put her and dad through."

The bunny bit her lips. She hadn't thought this wedding would stir up those painful memories. She patted his shoulder. "This kind of thing takes time."

"It's been almost a year." He felt an arm go around his shoulder, and felt Judy's body press against his.

"It can't say can understand what you're going through, but I think it's pretty normal to have it come back sometimes." She kissed his forehead soothingly.

"It's just... I feel like I screwed up her life twenty years ago. I'm afraid I'll do it again. I don't know how, or why. I just feel like it's going to happen again. I know I'm

not making any sense." He lifted his face from his paws to look up to his bunny. "It won't happen, right ?"

"Of course it won't." She said, taking his face between her own paws and kissing his snout. "I promise it won't. I'm not letting it happen."

His feeling of dread slowly receded. He knew it was nonsensical, and that there was no way he'd do the same mistake twice. He really hoped the kid they would adopt wouldn't either.

"Now get up. We really have to go. You need to go pick up Fin while I help your mom get dressed." The fox smiled. The wedding's organization had been a bit messy.

First he'd have to get Fin, and find something to do or someplace to hang out before the time of the wedding, bring him to the venue go back to his mother's place and pick up the two females to bring them there and walk his mother up the aisle. Him and Judy had insisted on organizing the wedding themselves, and had gone a bit off budget, but not too much, and had paid for the difference.

"Okay, let's go." He had an instant of hesitation before getting through the flat's door, but Judy gently pushed him forward.

"You're fine."

...

They arrived at Vivienne's flat and entered the building. She had given them the code and keys. Tapping at the door, a costume wearing fennec opened it. "Hi guys."

"Fin, you look handsome in this." Remarked Judy

The fennec stretched his shoulders. "I hope, 'cause it itches like hell."

Nick held back chuckle, the fennec was pretty stressed out. "Has mom begun to get ready ?"

"Yeah, she locked herself in the room. Won't let me in. Not that I tried." He danced from one feet to the other. "So, we goin' or what ?"

"Of course, let's go." He moved aside to let the fennec pass. "Hope my mom won't give you too much trouble. Kiss her for me, will you ?"

"See you soon". She answered.

The two vulpines went back to the car, and the fennec casually took the driving seat.

"Fin, you don't even know where we're going."

"You'll guide me. I need ta' drive. Calm my nerves."

Nick shrugged and took the passenger seat. "Alright." While sitting and putting on the safety belt, he observed the small vulpine. He looked very stiff, and as he was starting the car, Nick noticed he was very nervous. "Take the third left. Nervous, much ?"

"Nah." Finnick lied. "The costume's just a bit tight." He felt Nick stare and his calm expression faltered. "Alright, I'm fuckin' terrified."

"Afraid you're making a mistake ?"

"What ? No. It's the best decision I've ever taken. Not even a decision to be honest. I'm just afraid I'll make mistakes."

"Turn right at the next crossroad. Don't worry, you'll make mistakes. But I know you, you can't really screw that up."

The fennec snorted. "Way to reassure me... But ya' know, I'm kind of afraid I ain't good enough. I'm shure she could do bet-"

"Fin, there is no other mammal on this planet I could imagine being right for my mom. You've taken care of her for years, even before you started dating her, I have no reason to believe you'll act different now. Next right and we're there."

The fennec shut his mouth, staring at the road.

"Ya really believe 'dat ?"

"What I just said ? Yes."

"Thanks kid. Means a lot." They arrived near the docks north of Downtown. "Don't tell me you rented a boat."

"A barge actually. Do you have your boat driving license on you ?"

"In mah wallet, as always." The fennec turned to his friend. "How much did 'dis whole little party cost."

"Pretty much your whole wedding gift."

"Asshat."

Nick chuckled "It's rented for two days, so if you want to go on a little trip down the canal, you can."

"You didn't spare any expense." Said the fennec, getting off of the car after having pulled over.

Nick brought him to the barge. It had been discreetly decorated with flowers and white ribbons. There was a red carpet and a floral arch under which he would exchange vow with Vivienne. Behind was a white curtain that hid the front of the boat.

"No peeking behind the curtain while I'm gone."

"How will ya' stop me while you're gone ?" Smirked the fennec.

Nick got a pair of cuffs out of his pocket. "Do you really want to play that game ?"

The fennec chuckled. "Alright. No peeking. Promise."

...

Judy had entered the room where the vixen was getting ready after Nick had unlocked it. She was sitting on the bed looking at a wedding gown on a hanger with a look the bunny couldn't decipher.

She stood at the door silently waiting for the vixen to get out of her trance. She finally blinked and put on a little smile.

"Hey Judy. How are you ?"

"I'm fine. You ?"

The vixen turned back to the gown. "I don't know. I should feel great but I feel strange."

The bunny sat near the female fox. "Strange ?"

She answered with a nod and pointed at the dress. "This gown, it's the one I wore at my first wedding... It reminded me of John." She made a little sigh. "I know how it sounds, but I don't actually feel like I'm betraying him by wearing it again... It's just..." She felt the bunny's paw on her shoulder. "I fucked up a relation before. I almost lost a kit because of my stubbornness, because of my stupidity. I pushed John away." She took her ace in her paws. "What if I fuck up again. What if I do the same mistakes with Fin, with this child we want to adopt. I can barely live with it as it is, I just can't... I-"

The bunny had stood up and pulled the vixen in an embrace. "Hey, don't think like that."

"Fin deserves to be happy, with all he did for me, what if I can't... What..."

Judy's paw slowly ran on the fox fur. "You're okay. Everything's going to be fine. I don't know if I can understand how you feel, but... Nick actually had the same fears for you both."

"Really ?"

"Yes. I think he's a lot like you, and even if I don't know you that much, I know him. He has learnt from his mistakes, and I'm sure you did too. You will probably make mistakes, but if you or Fin are half the mammals I think you are, you won't let it break you apart. You want to be with him, and he wants to be with you. Hang on those feelings, and you'll be okay."

Vivienne pressed Judy against herself. "I'm so glad Nick found a mammal like you." The doe was left mute by the compliment, she could only smile and help the vixen stand up. "So, how about you help me put on a that gown ?"

"Sure."

It took only a short time to slip it on. The dress was very simple, and had laced long sleeves. Judy was bit at loss with the make up, since she was using the bare minimum but Vivienne could tend to that herself. She put on the veil and was now ready.

"I'm back." Came Nick's voice from the other side of the door.

The bunny went to the door. "Let's surprise your son." The vixen took the bouquet and placed herself in front of her door, nodding to the bunny, who opened it. Nick's heart skipped at beat when he saw his mother get out of her room. She lifted her veil to see him more clearly. Two thought went through his mind. First, it was the most beautiful his mother had ever been, even now, with the weight of the years. Two, he couldn't wait to see his bunny in a gown.

"You look splendid."

"Thanks son." She went and hugged him lightly, to not risk wrinkling her dress. "Now how about we put this fucking show on the road." And she unceremoniously went to the door, waving her to follow her.

Nick followed her, whispering to Judy. "She's terrified, is she ?"

"Yup."

"Fin is too. He loved the boat by the way."

"He told you ?"

"Nah, but it was written all over his face."

...

The trip to the barge was very short, and the vixen had little smile when she saw what they had prepared. The sun would set in a few minutes, and if they timed it right, they would be able to take the perfect cheesy and romantic pictures they wanted. Judy got out of the car first and approached Finnick.

A tiger officiant had arrived while Nick had gone pick up his mother and mate, and was waiting behind a small altar in the middle of the boat. Nick and Judy had chosen to have as little official presence and interaction as possible.

"Are you ready ?" She asked the fennec.

"Nope." He answered with a worried smile.

"You'll do fine." She trudged behind the curtain and the music started. The fennec repressed a chuckle. Nick had surely chosen the music. It was a song by the Ink Snouts, I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire. He considered it fitting for the occasion.

Judy held up a thumb and placed herself at her spot. Nick opened the door and helped his mother's out of the car. As he saw her, the fennec's heart skipped a beat. She slowly made her way to the arch and faced the fennec who couldn't stop himself from gawking at her. He blinked a few times and shut his mouth as Nick tapped his shoulder while placing himself behind him.

On cue, the music switched to some generic background music and Finnick took out a paper from his pocket. He looked at it for a couple of seconds before throwing it away. "Screw it. I ain't needin' any paper to tell ya how I feel." He reached up and took her free paw in his. "Vi, we've known eachothah for a long time. I spent way too long wondering if ya felt the same way I did, or if I wos the right fennec for ya. But all this waitin' led us to today, so, ya know what ? I think it was all worth it in the end. I know I'm a bit short tempered and a bit pig-headed, but I swear, I'll do anythin' to make you happy, if you'll have me as yo' husband. 'Cause I think you deserve it."

The vixen had to swallow hard to keep the tears inside. Judy, didn't have that much self control and tears had started rolling. Nick was barely keeping it together, having to look away, discreetly wiping the corner of his eyes.

The vixen pulled away her paw and took the paper she had kept the only place she could and threw it away too. "Never liked reading fucking speeches anyway." She took a deep breath, looking for her words. "Fin, like you said, we've known eachother for a long time. I put you through so fucking much, I can't understand how you can still want me in your life. But you do. And you are one of the most honest and brave mammal I know. If you'll have me as your wife, you'll make me the most happy mammal on the planet."

Judy had to wipe her eyes several times to get rid of the tears. On Nick's side, the waterworks had really started and he stopped trying to shut them down. Despite them, he kept a straight smiling face.

Judy and Nick stepped forward next to the couple with the ring. The officiant spoke. "Vivienne Octavia Wilde, will you take Ryan Vulpo as your rightful husband, share your life with him, be truthful to him and stay with him both through hardship and happiness ?"

"Fuck yeah !"

"Ryan Vulpo, will you take Vivienne Octavia Wilde as your rightful wife, share your life with her, be truthful to her and stay with her both through hardship and happiness ?"

"Hell yeah !"

Each took the ring their witnesses had been holding onto for them and slid it on the other's finger.

"Vivienne, Finnick, you can know ki-" They didn't wait for the authorization and acted right away. Judy and Nick quickly backed down, and the officiant slipped aside with a smile. Quickest wedding he had ever officiated in.

Nick took a couple of photos with a camera he had bought for the occasion. The sun aligned perfectly, and his shots looked like postcards. The husband and wives turned to the other couple. Judy was smiling and Nick took up the camera again. They held the pose, letting him take a few more photos. Vivienne suddenly threw the bouquet and the bunny catched it as a reflex. She gave the fox a glance, whose smile got even wider.  
Vivienne and Finnick kissed again and Nick took the opportunity to dry his tears.

The officiant politely took his leave, but not before Finnick and Vivienne signed the marriage license he had brought.

"What now ?" Asked the vixen.

"Well, now there is that." She pulled a cord and the curtain fell, revealing a four places table which was more of a cold buffet.

The four mammals spent the evening together, but Nick and Judy decided to not stay too long. They were working the next day and didn't want to impose. Nick knew the fennec would want to take the vixen somewhere nice on the river and this evening was for them after all.

* * *

 _Middle of August 2019_

As she was heading to the place the event took place with Nick at her side, Judy had a strange feeling. The four months during which she helped at the academy replayed in her head for a bit. Buster and Cavid had made a great amount of progress and were now getting a deserved recognition for her efforts. She felt a bit frustrated, despite her and theirs best effort, only the rat had gotten good enough to enter Precinct One.

It was still a form of victory, even if it tasted bittersweet. It meant that her and Nick would stop being partners and she would have the rat as a new partner. She could see her mate didn't look forward to work full time between the ZPD and ZIA, but it still meant they could make their relationship official and, at last, get married.  
This time, the ZPD ceremony would be nothing special. No speech, no cameras, only the chief giving their badges to each of the new recruits. It would go fairly fast.  
They were neatly aligned on the stage, each waiting for their turn to come. Most of them were beaming with pride, and the few of them that weren't, wore professional expressions.

"So, fluff, this is one of the guys you selected at the academy ?" Asked Nick, pointing to the rat.

"Yes. The other, Arthur Cavid, will be transferred to Savanah Central. He was really close to get into Precinct One. If he works hard enough, I'm sure he'll get there."

"Do you think he'd like to ?"

"I think he would, him and Buster got really close during their formation."

"Too bad he didn't get in, would have been fun to have a rodent team."

"And give you guys bad jokes fodders ? I think we mostly dodged a bullet here."

"You're no fun Carrots."

The dozen new recruits were now wearing their badges and getting down from the stage, the two rodent directing themselves to the couple since Judy was the only one they really knew here.

"So what's the program now ?" Asked Buster.

Nick pointed with his the commossion that was happening a few paces away. "See the chubby cheetah there ? Party at his house tonight. He's distributing invitations as we speak." He extended his paw to present himself. "Nicholas Wilde by the way. Call me Nick."

"Nice to meet you Nick. Louis Buster. I prefer Buster."

"Got it Buster."

"Arthur Cavid. People call me Art or Cavid."

"Art it is then."

The rat turned his head toward the cheetah that was approaching in a bouncy pace. "Ooooh, our two new small mammals recruits. You look so nice in those tiny uniform."

Judy rose a brow as the two rodent's expressions turned to surprised. "At least you didn't use the 'C' word this time." Remarked Nick.

"C word ?" Asked Buster.

"Cute." Said the Capybara. "Not something you want to use in the presence, and especially not with, a bunny. I grew up in a rabbit neighborhood." He explained.

"Oh." He gave a glance to Judy who confirmed with a nod.

The cheetah gave the invitation, the rodent accepted them but Judy and Nick didn't. "Can't come Ben. Tonight is our last shift together, and we want to make the most of it." Said Judy. Nick caught her by the waist and pulled her a bit closer.

"I knew it." Said the rat. "I knew you were together."

"I suspected it too. To be honest, I think most people do." Added the capybara.

Judy was happy to see that despite their fears, most mammals that learned about their relationships didn't see anything bad in it. Maybe it was because they were in the city, or maybe it was because of the event of those last months, that had helped open a lot of eyes. In any case, it gave her hope that the future would be bright.

"Well, we're making it official tomorrow, so if you could keep your mouth shut about it, it would be nice." Said the bunny.

"Lips sealed." Smiled the rat. "Now, if there is a party tonight, I'm going to have to go and choose an outfit. An uniform won't do."

...

"So, you're going to spend time with this Buster ?"

Nick was resting his feets on the dashboard while sipping on a coffee.

"Yes. He's going to be my new partner." She bit in a donut while looking around for potential trouble in the street lit by the twilight sun.

"Hm..."

"What ? Are you jealous ?"

"Should I be ?" He said in a joking suspicious tone. "After all, you're both rodent, I have the right to have my suspicions."

"Bunnys are lagomorphs. And if you're going to play the jealous type, I might as well-" His mouth capture her lips before she could finish her sentence. "Nick ! Not on patrol."

"You know you love me."

"Do I know that ? Yes. Yes I do." She heard a sigh coming from her right. Nick had gone back to staring through the windshield. "Something's on your mind."

"It's going to sound a bit selfish, but I'm kind of disappointed that we won't be together as much as we are now. I mean, my whole reason to be a cop to begin with, was because I'd be close to you."

"Is it still the only reason ?"

"No. I like that I actually got to make a difference. It just won't be the same without you." He took another sip of his coffee. "And I don't really like that ZPD-ZIA job. It's necessary, and I'm the most qualified to do it at the moment, but the first occasion I get to leave it, I must say, I will."

"You know you could leave it now ? Chief Bogo and Director Barklin said that you could get back to be a simple cop whenever you wanted."  
Nick snorted. "Yeah, of course. You realise that was a false authorisation. I simply can't stop until the job is done. I couldn't let things remain as they were. And I think they knew it. Or at least, the wolf did anyway. And besides, if I stop, it means I'll probably be back to be your partner. And that means no officialisation, no marriage, no kids. No nothing."

"We could find another solution." She proposed.

"Nah. I'm good. I'll work my ass off for the next three or four years, get this resolved, train some mammal to take my place, and that'll be that. And if three years of a shitty job means I get to marry and get kids with you, I think it's a great deal. Twenty years wasted got me to meet you, and that made them well spent after all."

"Could you get more cheesy ?"

"I could, fluff, but you wouldn't be able to handle it."

She nuzzled his neck and gave him a kiss. "Maybe, maybe not."

"I thought we were in patrol ?"

"Yeah." She sighed, pulling herself away. "We are."

* * *

 _Middle of August 2019_

Despite how late they had gone to bed because of their shift, the couple wasn't surprised be among the most well rested. Clawhauser had deep bags under his eyes, but a happy smile. He waved at them while dipping a donut in a large coffee mug.

They were the firsts to enter the bullpen, it slowly filled with a bunch of other tired mammals. The chatter was almost non-existent, despite the number of mammals present. Buster sat near them silently. The rat was completely hungover. The chatter was way more silent than usual and MacHorn's 'Atten-hut' lacked its usual strength, which didn't stop the rat to put his paws around his painful skull as a reaction.

The buffalo faced his officers and took out the files. "I'll ask you to remain in the room after you received your assignation. First, I should present to you our new recruits... But I don't care. Wolford, Blackfur, Fangmeyer, Delgato, there is a bunch of mammals that are taking my streets for their personal race tracks. Bring them in. Snarlov, Rhinowitz, there's been a fox disappearance in canal district. I want you to go there and get statements. Hopps, Buster there are rising reports of drug dealers in Downtown south. I want you to go there and find out anything you can." A bit of chatter rose in the bullpen. Nick and Judy not working as a team was a first. "Grizzoly, Pennington, you're on street patrol. Clawfith, parking duty. Now, before you all go, I believe some of your colleagues have things to announce." He stepped aside, and left the stage to Judy and Nick.

"Well, guys... I know there are a lot of rumors around me and Nick, and we've decided to put them to rest."

Nick stepped forward. "Yes, we think the joke has run its course. There is absolutely no way that we..." As he began his sentence, he actually saw a few faces fall. "... wouldn't be dating."

The applause was way a lot more silent that he thought it would be. Then again, half of the bullpen was hungover. Nick caught his bunny by the waist and leaned, giving her a deep kiss. Judy didn't really like to be the center of attention, but she decided to indulge. Not having to hide themselves anymore felt too good.

This time there was a satisfactory loud roar of congratulations. "Yes !" Came Fangmeyer's voice. "I won !"

"We won, you mean." Said Delgato. "We made the same wager."

Nick unstuck himself from Judy, which gave her the occasion to ask. "So you bet on us being together ?"

"Nah. That bet died long ago. It was about when you'd make it official."

"Oh, for carrot's sake. You're all impossible."

The chief cleared his throat. "You can all go now. Except for Hopps, Wilde and Buster. I'd like a few words with you three."

The officers left the room, and only those that had been asked to, remained.

"So, corporal Buster, lieutenant Hopps will be in charge of you. I want to make it very clear that you barely had high enough grades to get into my precinct. You will have to follow her rhythm, and learn from her. Disappointing her expectations will be disappointing mine. Is that clear ?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Corporal Wilde, as of today you are now Sergeant Wilde. You know the drill, act your rank and keep on doing good work. Is that clear ?"

"Yes sir."

"Outstanding. Lieutenant Hopps, I know that you're used to work with Sergeant Wilde, but you'll have to learn to work with another officer from now on. He'll have to adapt to you, but it also means you'll have to adapt to him. Keep that in mind. Oh, and by the way, you're one step away from becoming a captain. So don't screw up, I don't like to have to change my mind. Is that clear."

"Yes sir."

"Perfect. You're dismissed."

They left the bullpen, and while in the hallway, the rat asked. "Is he always that blunt ?"

"Only if you can take it. He knows how to be understanding. Just, don't ever try to hide your mistakes, you'll be sanctioned anyway, but it will be way worse." Explained Nick.

"Okay. By the way, what are you going to do ? He didn't assign you a new partner or mission."

"Top secret." The fox smiled.

The rat lifted a disbelieving brow.

"He's not kidding, Buster." Smiled Judy.

"Oh. Okay."

"I really got to go. See you later." Nick gave quick kiss to his bunny and went away, leaving the bunny and rat alone.

Judy took a few steps in the hallways and turned to the rat. "What are you waiting for ? Let's go." She threw him the car keys. "And you're driving."


	14. A Newcomer

**Cemsay :** Heh, wait until you see what else I have in store.

 **Foxlover 91 :** Yeah, I had stuff in store for Vivienne and Finnick, I'm glad to finally be able to write about them.  
I'll see if I can give Buster and Cavid more screentime, but we're in the last quarter of the story, not much time for character development.

* * *

 _ **Chapter 14 :**_ _A Newcomer_

 _September 2019_

"You seem awfully cheery today."

His face resting on the buffalo's chest, Clawhauser was looking up at the slightly smiling expression the chief wore. He had learned by now to read his lover's almost undecipherable expressions.

"Do you mind sharing the subject of you're almost ecstatic attitude ?" He like to tease the buffalo about his constantly contained demeanor.  
The buffalo turned and rested his head on his hoof, making the cheetah slide from his place and end up slightly lower than the chief. "Well..." He ran his other hoof on the feline soft fur. "For starters, there is fluffy naked cat in my bed." Clawhauser pushed himself closer, stealing a kiss. "Then, It's our day off." A second kiss was stolen. The buffalo placed a gentle paw on the cheetah's cheek. "And I realized one thing." He leaned down and took his third kiss. It was longer and deeper. The feline felt himself melt in the embrace. "I'm in love with you."

The cat stay stunned for a couple of second before he suddenly pushed the chief who fell flat on his back. The quarter of a second later, the cat was sitting on his stomach, lips locked on his, his paws running along the muscles of his neck and his torso. "Really ?"

"Yes."  
"Really, really ?"

"I'm in love with you, Ben." He pressed the soft body of the feline against his own. "Really, really."

"I'm in love with you too."

Even after the long sessions of cuddling and sex, the cheetah still managed to find knots in the chiefs back. "Do you ever relax ?"  
The chief turned his head upward, off of the pillow so he'd be able to talk. "Sometimes."

The cheetah was using his elbows, the chief's back muscles were so resistant that it was necessary for the most persistent knots. There was groan, but the chief didn't move, the feline knew what he was doing. "You need to do it more often."

"As a matter of fact for the last few months, my life has been especially relaxing."

"I can't imagine in what state your back was before. This one is going to hurt." The groan was louder than the previous one. "Sorry." A hoof brushed his leg.

"It's okay. It hurts good." He caressed the arm, seeing the scars he had made a few months prior. "Do they still hurt ?"

"The nerve endings are dead, so no."

The feline wanted to apologize but he knew the chief wouldn't consider it necessary. The massage turned more soft, punctuated with kisses. "I never thanked you properly for what you did for me at the shooting range."

The buffalo fell silent for a few seconds, shifted a bit to the side to look at the side of his face, but the buffalo turned it. He was blushing. Clawhauser could feel it.

"I... partly did it for myself." Bogo was glad the feline couldn't see his face right now. His composure was all over the place.

"Really ?"

"Yeah. I wanted to declare to you when the case ended, but I couldn't with the state you were in. It wasn't what you needed. You needed support. I could have helped you differently. That way meant I could get close to you. As your superior officer, it wasn't something I should have done. I apolo-" He felt a finger poke his neck and the body of the feline press against his.

"Adrian, don't be sorry for that. It was the best thing you could do at the time. Even when you're selfish, you do the right thing." He got down from the buffalo's back and lifted the chief's arm to get under it. "The food is going to arrive soon."

"And I'll have to go get it ?"

The cat pushed himself in the chief's chest a bit more, wrapping the muscular arm around him. "Well, you're the one on top."

"As usual." The feline froze and slowly glanced up. There was the slight hint of a grin on the chief's face.

...

The cheetah picked up a piece of sashimi and ate it. "Judy seems to be doing fine with her new partner. I read the reports, she's really taking charge."

The chief nodded while struggling to use the chopsticks. Hooves weren't adapted to their use.

"He's really working hard, he doesn't show it much, but he really admires her."

"Hopps is an excellent officer. Most of her colleagues could actually learn from her."

The feline gulped a second piece of sashimi. "She still has a lot to learn though. Are you sure it's a good idea to give her the captain rank yet ?"

The chief lifted a brow. "You don't approve ?"

"You don't need my approbation, chief- I mean, Adrian."

"I want your opinion." He had finally gotten the hang of the chopsticks and caught a rice ball.

The cat felt a bit of unease. He felt it wasn't something he should give his opinion about. He was a bit afraid of not having the same opinion of the chief, but he knew the buffalo wouldn't get mad if they didn't agree. "She's very young, and has spent little time on the force yet. There are officers that have been there longer that are still waiting on their promotions. But aside from the jealousy, don't you think a promotion so quickly could get to her head ?"

The buffalo ate two more rice balls before answering. Those were concerns he actually had, but he hadn't deemed them big enough. "I agree with your concern. Do you think Hopps is less deserving of this promotion than her colleagues ?"

"She works hard, but she lacks experience, and especially in leadership and... And that's why you sent her to teach classes at the academy and gave her an unexperimented partner." Realised the cat.

"Not only. But yes."

"And you don't believe the promotion will get to her head."

"Before Lycus case it could have. But now, no. I don't."

What the buffalo didn't say, was the reason why he wanted her to have that promotion, or the other reasons why he had pushed for her to be in charge of a recruit that quick. It was a calculated risk, but he thought she could handle it. He wanted her to be free to come out as a couple with Nick. He knew the public eye would get on her because of it, but it would have sooner or later. If the hero of Zootopia was in a cross-species relationship, it would help ease the people's mind about those types of relationship. And if him, as the chief, wanted the opportunity to officially be with his cheetah, he needed the opinion on it to be positive. He needed to keep the trust of the citizen, otherwise, his work would get way harder, and it would mean a less safe city. "She still has things to learn before becoming a captain."

* * *

 _September 2019_

Nick walked into the Director's office with his weekly report. For now, they were only in the early stages of the project, and though actions had been taken, their final course hadn't been decided yet. He knocked at the door and entered when the wolf answered.

"Hello Director."

"Hello Wilde. Please take a seat."

The fox slid the file on the desk, waiting for the wolf to take it and sat on one of the chairs. He did and put it aside. "So, I've received a few reports from my agents, that you've talked to pretty much every one of them."

"Aside for the field agents. I've seen three or four of them, not that we could pull them out just for me to have an interview with them."

"That's true. Most of them seem to have changed their minds about our rapprochement with the ZPD." He took out the project file and looked at the list of idea the fox had gathered until now. "I haven't really had much time to go through it all yet, but a few things pulled my attention, and I'd like to go through them now."

"Sure."

"First, I'd like to ask about what you call the 'exchange program'. You want to send some of our agents to work at the ZPD ?"

"I think it would actually be a good idea for them to experience the job of an officer. Get to directly help others, work with rules."

"You want them to be in a ZPD's agent shoes. That's not a bad idea, but a sudden arrival of exchange officers would raise suspicions. And a clever mammal could easily connect the dots. One of the ZIA's strength is that no one knows who exactly are our agents, including the ZPD. You've seen it yourself, if one of the officer got corrupted, it could end up in disaster."

Being reminded of FitzAntler's betrayal, the fox sighed. But he had actually thought about that problem. "Well, Zootopia was actually a form of social experimentation when it was funded. There are more and more large cities that are trying themselves at predators and prey mixity on a large scale. I know the mayor actually wants to put officer exchange in place, so that officers from those other cities could learn how to deal with interspecies problems. The ZIA agents could be grafted to this program. After all, are you not experts at distributing false identities ?"

The wolf scratched his chin. "That is a good idea, but one we won't be able to put to test until the mayor actually puts in place the exchange program. I see that you'd also like ZPD agents to do internships at the ZIA."

"I know that there is a risk for the ZIA agents, but with a good selection and sufficient background checks, it could be doable. If the ZPD could really see how the ZIA works, it could learn from it, and maybe the officers could get a little less frustrated to be ordered not to act in certain situations."

That was true. One of the main problem the ZIA had met until now was that since they didn't know where were their agent or what they did, it happened that sometimes the ZPD would take on related cases and give a hard time to the ZIA agents. With the rapprochement, they would stop impeding on eachother's work, but it would also mean that sometimes, the ZPD would have to back down from situation where they would usually act.

"I understand that this will be harder to put in place, but in my opinion, it will be a crucial point of this project."

"Of course. I see there that you want every action that would usually be illegal to be documented. Surveillance, accidents, extortion... You've made quite a long list. What is the reason ?"

"One of the things that shocked me while I was undercover was that I could basically do what I wanted without the fear of retribution. I don't know how your agents work, but that level of freedom is an invitation to abuse in my opinion."

"You understand that one of the reason of our efficiency is that we act partly around the law ?"

"The goal isn't to punish your agents when they do something that they technically shouldn't, but I want them to have limits. It's easy to slip when what you do is for the 'greater good'. And writing down what they do may make them reflect upon their action, and maybe sometimes help them find other solutions."

"A tool of self-imposed control. It's sort of devious. I like it. You also want the ZPD to have access to our archives ?"

"Yes. I'm fairly certain that there are a lot of cold cases that could be resolved if our inspectors could take a look at it."

The wolf chuckled. "You're right, it's probably true. But you must understand, for the safety of my agents, I may have to redact some of the content."

"I am aware of that. The other reason why I want the ZPD to have access to the archives, is that we need to understand the importance of your work. I know most officers frown upon your activity, if their worries could be put to rest, I think the cooperation between you and us would be facilitated."

"I'll think about it. It's all I had to talk about."

"Then I'll be going. Have a nice evening Director."

"You too Wilde."

* * *

 _End of December 2019_

"You should relax, Vi. It's going to be okay."

The vixen was twisting her fingers while her tail was wagging nervously. Sitting in the waiting room, she was wondering how the fennec could stay that calm in those circumstances. The truth was, he wasn't, but he was her husband. And as old fashioned as it could be, to him, it meant he had to be an anchor to which she could always hang on to. He took her paw and stroke it slowly.

"We went through the background check process, our file is solid. We even got a few letters of testimony to back it all up. There is really no wall in front of us now."  
The female vulpine closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, opening the file for hundredth time and looking at the picture. A girl fennec fox, sporting a bunch of band aids on her knees, elbows and face was looking defiantly at the camera. The photo made her smile each time. It was like being groomed and wearing nice clothes was one of the worst thing that could happen to her. On the half dozen of child in the foster care system that had been presented to them, it had been the one that had really caught their eye. They had met a few times already. Well, they simply had seen her in the common room of the foster establishment. Most children had been looking at them from the corner of their eyes, some of them with hope, some of them with fear. In a corner of the room, reading a half-torn book, she had simply lifted her head given them a long stare that really looked like a 'I dare you' glare and gone back to her reading.

"Mister Vulpo and Miss Wilde ?" Called a female voice. The fennec winced, being called by his real name was a strange thing. Casting aside his eternal paranoia had been hard but necessary in that case. They entered the office and the female grizzly director waved them to sit. "Hello."

"Hello miss Andersine."

She opened their file and quickly went through it. She didn't really need to since she knew it well. It wasn't especially usual nor unusual for a couple of their age to try and adopt, but she had to admit she rather liked them. They had shared their personal history and when she had learnt about Nick's story she had become wary of the couple, but as she had come to know them, she saw that they mostly had fallen victims to bad circumstances.  
And the letters of support she had gotten from both the vixen's son and his mate had helped a lot to build her opinion of them. And the fact that the mammals having written those support letters were the heroes of Zootopia didn't hurt.

"You're nervous." She stated to Vivienne.

"Just a bit."

"Don't worry about it, most adopting mammals are. The first meeting is always a bit awkward... Oh, and I know I've mentioned it before, but she has a bit of... Character. She'll need time to warm up to you, and I'm pretty sure you'll need time too. Ready ?"

"Yup."

"Yeah."

She brought them in an adjacent room. It was painted with pastel colors and contained a bunch of toys, large pillows to sit on, everything to make any mammal comfortable. She pushed a key on a phone hanged to the wall. "You can bring her in." She said. A few seconds later, the nine years old fennec kid was accompanied inside by a worker who then left. She looked at the two sitting vulpines, giving them a bit of a berth, and went to stand near a large pillow. She still had the worn book and was still sporting a few band aids.

"Hollie, meet Vivienne Wilde and Ryan Vulpo. Vivienne, Ryan, meet Hollie Halopy."

Finnick noticed the slight teeth gritting when her last name was said out loud. The foster service didn't reveal the children's past unless they deemed it necessary. In Hollie's case, they knew next to nothing.

She didn't look frightened, but her expression was clear, she didn't trust anyone in the room.

"Hi." Said the vixen with a smile.

"Hi." Her little shy voice was almost interrogative.

"Hello." Said Finnick, unsure. It seemed he could keep a cool head before the event, but now that he was in front of the kid, he felt completely at loss.

Silence fell on the room.

"I'm going to let you get acquainted. If anyone needs anything, I'll be in the next room." Finnick found it strange to leave a child alone with two mammals, even with the background check the grizzly had run on them, but with a glance up, he found the camera he was looking for.  
The silence grew a bit be fore the vixen broke it. "So, um, you like to read ?"

"Yeah."

"What do you read ?"

The fennec kid made a imperceptible move backward, clutching the book a bit harder.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me."

"Robots."

"Huh ?"

She brought the book up to show them. Robots, by Isaac Mousimov. The two adult's raised their brow, it wasn't really a kid's book, not that it was inappropriate either.

"Is it nice ?"

The kid shrugged.

Vivienne and Finnick felt a bit distraught. The kid was completely guarded.

"Yo' name is Hollie Halopy, right ?" Asked Finnick.

There was teeth gritting again. She nodded.

"Don't like yo' name ?"

The kid didn't answer, but at her expression, he knew he had put his finger on it.

"Is it Hollie ?" No reaction. "Or Halopy ?" New gritting, followed with a nod. "As it happens, I don' really like my name either. Mos' people call me Finnick. Or Fin for shorts."

"Why ?"

" 'Cause I ask 'em to. Dontchu wanna sit ?"

She looked at the large cushion behind her and sat on the edge.

The kid shook her head. "Why do you want to adopt me ?"

The question took them aback. Finnick was looking for an answer, but Vivienne was quicker.

"We thought you seemed like a nice kid."

The little vulpine scratched one of the band aid on her snout. "The other kids don't think that."

"Fu- I don't care what others think." Shrugged the vixen. "Do you fight a lot ?"

"Not a lot."

"Why do you fight ?"

"They say mean things." They saw that she tried to say it as she didn't care, but her expression, and the fact that she fought because of it hinted that it wasn't the case.

"Like ?"

"Say stuff about mom and dad."

"Do you win often ?" Asked the fennec ?

"Fin !"

"Wot ? Dat's a gud question."

"Sometimes." She scratched the band aid again.

Her guarded attitude didn't deter them, but they had thought she would be a bit more enthusiast.

"So, what do you like to do ? Aside from reading ?" Asked Vivienne, eager to get away from the topic of fighting as soon as possible.

"I repair stuff."

"Like what ?"

"Stuff." She shrugged. Putting a paw in one of her pockets, taking out what looked like an old MP3 player. Finnick extended a paw.

"Can I ?"

She gave it to him. He turned it to look at it from all sides. It wasn't one MP3 player, it was several parts of different players held together with tape. There was a single earbud plugged to it. One of the side was slightly disjointed, in a way that he could look inside. Most cables had been repaired with tape too, some even looked like they had been welded. He turned it on and brought the earbud to his ear. The thing did work.

"Impressive." He fiddled in his own pocket to take out his own earplugs and gave them along with the player. "Ya can give 'em back next time."  
She lifted a brow and simply bundle it all and put it back in her pocket. "You're weird."

"Weird ?" He asked.

"Yeah. Not like the others."

"What d'ya mean ?"

She played nervously with the corner of her old book. "You didn't ask me if I had friends or what game I like to play."

Vivienne and Finnick felt a bit embarassed. The couple of times they had seen her, she was mostly staying alone. The fact that she fought a lot was a hint that she didn't have a lot of friends. And oddly, she didn't seem like the kind of kid that played a lot.

"Do you want to talk about that ?" Asked the vixen.

"No." She answered almost immediately.

An awkward silence fell on the room.

"When ya said 'the others' who didja mean ?" Came Finnick's voice.

"Adults. Other people that wanted to adopt me."

"Why didn't ya go wid' dem ?" They saw her jaw clench and tremble a bit. Maybe that question had been a bit too insensitive. "Ya don't hafta talk about if ya don't wanna."

"Mom got better. Then she didn't. Then she d-did again." She took a deep breath, and they both could see that she was swallowing back tears. They wanted to ask where was her mother but they feared they wouldn't like the answer, and they certainly didn't want to pull back that kind of memory.

...

Vivienne and Finnick settled back in Andersine's office. The bear politely waited for them to get seated.

"So, how did that first meeting go ?"

"Good, I guess." Said the vixen. "She's really guarded."

"She is, yes."

"She said that she fought a lot with the other kids." The ursine lifted a brow but let Vivienne continue speaking. "Isn't there anything you can do about that ?"

Andersine had a little smile. "I'm surprised she talked to you about it. And there isn't much we can do. We try to talk with the kids, tried to keep an eye on her, but we can't really keep someone near at all time."

"What wos it about her mom getting better and worse again ?" Bluntly asked the fennec. The bear had avoided that topic in their early interview, but it seemed to him that knowledge was important.

"I didn't really want to tell you before you met her. I didn't want you to have preconceived ideas. She went into a couple of foster home before yours. It went fine, but each time, her mother got better and got custody back for several months. She did that a couple of times, and each time another kid was matched with the foster families in the mean time. And her mother... Well, she was a drug addict, and that was not her biggest problem. She tried to quit a few times, but it didn't work out.

She's actually dead now." The bear's expression switched to sadness. "Hollie was actually the one that found the body."

Vivienne put a paw to her mouth. "By the gods ! That's horrible !"

"Yes. I hoped that she would accept to talk about it to our psychologist, but she won't. In my experience, it's better for a child that they start to work that out before being adopted, but I don't think it will be the case this time. The next best thing for her would be to find people she could actually open up to."

"You think it's the best thing for her ?"

The fact that the vixen had actually asked that question was only raising the ursine's confidence in the matter. "I see it that way : It's better for a troubled kid to be raised by half-descent parents, not that I mean that you're only half-descent, than to spend their whole childhood in a foster institution."

"And what about her father ?"

The grizzly scratched her forehead. "Even the mother didn't know who he was."

Silence lingered after that last sentence. Finnick ended up breaking it.

"So, wha's happenin' now ? What do we need to do ?" Asked the male vulpine.

"You don't need to do much. Prepare a room for her while I complete the paperwork and in two weeks you come and pick her up."

"Just like that ? I mean, we're both okay with that..." She turned to her husband.

"Right we are."

"But isn't it a bit..."

Oh, they were going to be perfect. "Fast ? It's the kind of situation where you can't actually be sure without a field test. You two look like you really want to do a good job. Leave her some time to adjust and it should be fine. And remember, this isn't an adoption yet. You're just providing a foster home for an undetermined time. If her time with you proves to be the right thing for her, then we'll be able to start speaking about a real adoption."

It was a bit of a mood dampener, but said that way, it slightly lowered their stress.

They left the office a bit dumbfounded. Despite all the trouble they had been through, completing the background check, finding a larger place to live with a decent rent, convincing each and every social worker they had met that they were actually ready to adopt, they thought the hardest part would be to find the kid.  
Sitting in the van, still parked in the lot, they were both contemplating the event that had unfolded a few minutes prior.

"We're going to have a kid." Whispered the vixen.

"I'm going to be a dad."

"Kind of for a second time."

"I ain't taking no responsibility for the nutcase you call your son." He joked, pressing her paw in his.

"What if I screw up again ?" She asked suddenly.

"Again ? I don't remember tha' ya screwed to begin wid'."

"What if-"

The fennec stood up and caressed her cheek. "Ya won't."

"You don't know that." She said avoiding his gaze.

"Girl, look at me." He put a finger under her chin. "Ya won't. I'm here. I won't let ya. You do something stoopid, I'll stop ya. And ya better do the same for me."

"What if we both screw up ?"

"Tha's called marriage sweetheart. Ya know it better than I." He pulled her into a kiss. She ended up breaking it.

"We still have a problem."

"Yes ?"

"The room isn't ready. It needs fresh coat of paint, furniture..."

"Then let's change dat."


	15. Way Overboard

Foxlover91 : Bogo didn't get his position by only being upfront. Sometimes a bit of manipulation is necessary.  
I feared I had rushed the adotion process a bit, but at that point, I'm trying to not milk it by uselessly keeping the fanfic going.

This next chapter was going to be in two parts, but what the hell. It's not often I publish something that long.

* * *

 _ **Chapter 15 :** Way Overboard_

 _Beginning of January 2020_

Judy woke up in a great mood, it was her day off, and Nick's too. The form near her was immobile and she decided to let it rest. She went to the bathroom and then to the kitchen to fix herself and her mate a nice breakfast, when something on the table caught her attention. A pink letter, closed with a heart-shaped sticker with 'open me' written on it. With a smile, the bunny opened it to find a simple piece of paper. 'Where it began' was written on it. Judy lifted a brow, and went back to the bedroom to inquire what it meant, even if she had a faint idea. She approached the form of her fox but when she ran her paw on, it felt too cold and too soft to be him.

She turned the lights on and it appeared to be a pillow of Nick's length.

The cogs in her mind began to turn slowly.

"Where it all began ? Alright, that's easy enough." She took a simple decaf and headed out. Nick hadn't taken the car , she opened the door and found another envelope on the driver seat. This time the paper in it read 'Don't drive too fast fluff-butt, you have the whole day.'

It was so on.

She drove to the cafe and stopped in front, looking around. Nick was nowhere to be found, and she didn't see anything that resembled a clue. She entered the café and approached to counter.

"Excuse me sir ?" She asked to the elephant behind the counter.

"Miss, there is a line." Remarked a client somewhat annoyedly.

The bunny sighed. She couldn't use the 'police business' excuse, though she was highly tempted, so she prepared to head back behind the line of mammals when a voice stopped her.

"Miss, wait. You're Judy Hopps right ?" The elephant was leaning on his counter to see her.

"Yes. It's me."

"Then I have something for you." He handed her an envelope and a little box containing two carrot's flavoured bakeries. "It's already been paid for, have a nice day."

"Thanks, you too." She said, almost bouncing outside and reading the paper in the envelope. 'You skipped breakfast, didn't you ? Please eat before dashing to your next destination.' The bunny lifted a brow and turned the paper over. Had Nick forgotten to add in the clue ? No that wasn't it. She read the paper again and sighed.

"I really hope you didn't do what I think you did." The bunny quickly ate the bakeries and hopped in the car in direction of Department of Mammal Vehicles. She parked in front of the building and looked through the glass doors. The line was long and the sloths were as slow as usual. Judy put her head against the glass and sighed.

The fox was sly enough to have given the clue to Flash.

Suddenly she heard a comossion behind her and turned. A silhouette had grabbed a honey badger lady's handbag and was running away.

"Thief ! Someone stole my bag ! Someone, call the police !"

The bunny instantly turned away and ran behind the thief. From the way he ran, she recognized a feline. It was fairly small, so maybe a small lynx, a serval, or an ocelot. The thief ran out of the parking lot and in the streets. The bunny slowly gained on him and the hooded figure suddenly turned in an alleyway. Suddenly wary, Judy slowed down a bit, taking out the pepper spray she always carried for safety reasons. Even with her paw to paw combat training, it could always come in handy. The alleyway was in fact a dead end and the feline seemed like he was looking for a way out.

"Police. Put down the bag and come quietly." Judy rose the little spray can. The thief didn't move. "Turn and put your paws against the wall." She took another step, ready to spray the suspect which still didn't move. "Paws against the wall. Last warning." Suddenly, with an impressive speed, the feline lept forward and kicked the can from Judy's paw. Unimpressed, the bunny sidestepped to block his way. "I've taken down larger mammals than you."

"I know." came a female voice. Surprised, Judy backstepped. If the feline knew of her, the situation could be more dangerous than she had anticipated.  
Suddenly, the cat closed the distance between them and threw a series of testing jabs with her free paw. Judy caught her wrist and tried and armlock, but the feline jumped above her, sending one of her feet in her shoulder. The bunny turned and evaded the attack, but lost her grip on the wrist. She went to the offense with a flying kick. The feline fell for it, ready to absorb the shock. Instead, the legs locked around her neck, and with a waist twist, the bunny brought her to the ground. The feline rolled and went back on her feet. "Oh, you really are good !" The voice was happily excited more than it was angry. Judy had a sudden doubt.

"Did Nick put you up to this ?" As an answer the feline threw her the bag which was surprisingly light.

"He said to only make you run, but I couldn't resist having a round with you." The feline took down the hood, revealing her face.

"Selina ?"

"Yup." She picked up the pepper spray and gave it back to the bunny. "Let's do that again sometimes." And in a few leaps she went from the ground to the rooftops.  
Judy sighed. Nick had asked two of his outlaws friends to help him for this scavenger hunt. Of course the badger was Honey. What else did he prepare ? She opened the bag, which contained only a pink letter 'The place where we found the naked truth.'

"Really ?" Giggled the bunny. "That one wasn't even hard."

She went back to her car and drove to the Mystic Spring Oasis. Yax was still his usual naked self behind the front desk when she approached it. "Hey Yax. How are you doing ?"

"I'm fine Judy. How are you ?"

"Good, good. Say, did Nick come and leave you an envelope for me ?"

"Oh ? No, I don't think I remember that. I know he left a message for Nangi to give to you."

Judy frowned. If Nick had given a letter to the elephant, the Yack probably didn't know its content. She took the direction of the large door.

"Woh woh, where are you going ?"

"To ask Nangi for the message."

"But you can't enter like this Judy. This is a naturalist club."

"But last time, I went in with my uniform !"

"I don't really remember well, but last time was police business, wasn't it ?"

Judy froze. It was true. "Yes ?"

"I'm sorry but you can't enter with your clothes on for a personal matter."

The bunny gritted her teeth. She'd get Nick later for that, he knew how uncomfortable she was with public nudity. "The things I must do to get a stupid envelope."

"Envelope ?"

"Yes, what Nick gave to Nangi."

"I don't remember no envelope..." said Yax with a frown under his locks.

"What was it then ?"

"He told me to tell Nangi the message. Since she's an elephant, he knew she would remember it."

Judy leaned forward with a little smile. "And what did he tell you to tell Nangi ?"

"You'll cross that bridge when you come to it."

"Huh ?"

"That's what Nick told me to told her ' You'll cross that bridge when you come to it'."

Judy beamed. "Thanks, I have to go." She said, taking a few steps toward the exit.

"Wait, won't you ask Nangi what the message is ?"

"Don't need to, thanks Yax." And she left the building.

"Bunnies... Always in a rush."

...

Judy went back to her car again and stepped on the gas pedal. The bridge, the place where she apologized for what she had said. The memory had a bittersweet taste. She thought she had lost his friendship but he actually came back to her.

The place was empty, no long chair. But Nick was there, back turned, at the other side of the bridge, in the same position than when he was holding the carrot pen, but instead, he held an envelope.

"Alright, you've made me run enough." She said approaching. The fox didn't move. She took another few steps and realized she had talked to a cardboard cutout.

"Really ?" She jumped and caught the envelope. 'Gottcha ! But I'm still far, you're actually freezing.'

The bunny giggled and went back to her car. Nick had outdid himself with the scavenger hunt. The next step was to go to Big's house. She first thought she would disturb them but then deduced that Nick had probably informed them of what was happening. She arrived at the gate and didn't even have to call at the intercom. She entered the courtyard and then the manor as a tall white bear opened the door for her. "This way miss Hopps." He led her through the manor and to a little salon where Fru Fru, her husband and Mr Big were having tea. "Judy !" Wave the female shrew. Judy greeted each of the mammals.

"Let me guess, you have a clue for me."

The shrew giggled. "No, I actually have a gift from Nick. Would like some tea before I give it to you ?"

"Of course." She sat on the chair that had be brought for her next to her friend. "So, how are Judith, Nicholas and Vito ?"

"They're so big already. Kids really are growing up fast. How are you Judy ? It's been a long time since we haven't seen each other."

"Well... After Lycus case, and since my leg is repaired, life has been really good. Nick proposed me."

"That's so great !" The shrew squealed. "When will you marry ? Can I organize it ?"

"We haven't decided on a date yet. As for organizing it, I know I can't take that away from my family. Bunny traditions, you know how it is..."

"Traditions are important." Intervene Mr Big. "It's what keeps us together." He took a sip of his tea. "And sometimes, tears us apart."

Judy thought about her family reaction when she announced her decision to go to the ZPD academy, and when she inadvertently came out to them with Nick. "That can be true, sometimes. By the way, I want you to be my maid of honor. If I can't have you organize my marriage, I can at least have that."

"I'd be glad to be your maid of honor !"

The bunny turned to the other shrews. "And you're all invited of course. After all, we are family."

"That, we are." Confirmed Mr Big. "By the way, Fru, didn't you have a gift for Judy ?"

The female shrew slapped her forehead. "I almost forgot !" She waved to a bear that approached and took her up. Judy recognize Koslov who offered her a paw. Judy hesitated to get on.

"Don't be embarrassed, it will be hard to talk if you're walking beside Koslov."

The Judy sighed and sat on the paw. He brought her up easily and started walking. "Where are we going ?"

"You'll see."

They got out of the building and the bear brought them to a limo. They entered and the driver glass slid, showing Manchas' face. "Hello Judy !"

"Hi Renato. How are you doing ?"

"Good, you ?"

"Perfect."

"To Downtown miss Fru Fru ?"

"Yes. Thanks Manchas."

"At your service." He closed the window and started the car.

Judy looked at the landscape that unfolded in front of her eyes. "What are we doing in the center of the city ?"

"We're going shopping." Judy had a little wince. She wasn't really fond of shopping, and especially not of spending too much money on clothes. "Don't worry, you're not paying for anything."

"Fru, I can't make you pay for my clothes."

"Who says I am ?" She asked with a little smile.

"Don't tell me Nick gave you a budget for this."

The shrew kept smiling without saying anything.

"Of course Nick would go overboard. Sweet Cheese and Crackers." She sighed. It was Nick's idea of a date. Unusual, unique, and completely surprising.

"You found quite the catch, you've no idea what he has planned for later." Giggled the shrew.

"What, you know what he has planned ?"

"Manchas wouldn't be able to drive you there otherwise."

Judy had a sudden realisation. "My car is still at the manor, I'll have to go get it back."

"Not really. Nick has a key double for it, remember ?"

"Nick was at the manor ?" The shrew had a little apologetic smile, but didn't answer. The bunny pinched the bridge of her nose. "How can he be so infuriating and sweet at the same time."

...

They arrived at the center of the city. Koslov got out first and extended his paws. Judy felt a bit self-conscious being carried around, but didn't complain. They entered a store Judy wouldn't have even looked at while shopping. In her opinion, most prices had at least one, if not two numbers too many.  
They were greeted by a male antelope who asked them if they needed anything but the shrew politely dismissed him.

"Choose something you like !"

"I'd like less numbers on these price tags." Muttered the bunny before jumping down from the bear's paw, before he could put her down himself.

"Don't be like that. It's your day. If there is something you've never had, it's a really nice and elegant dress."

Judy winced again. It was true, aside from the dress she had bought for Vivienne and Fin's marriage. And that one was nice but nothing special. All the dress she saw here were magnificent, but there was no way she could were something like it. And it was definitely too expensive. "Fru, let's go somewhere less expensive. I'll let you choose my wedding gown. Deal ?"

"No deal sweety." She squeaked. "Nick was very specific. And you were going to let me choose your wedding gown anyway."

"I'm starting to reconsider."

The shrew crossed her arms and gave her an amused look of disbelief.

"Okay, I'm not. Can I have at least a few demands ?"

"Anything."

The bunny went around to look at the dress, though they were beautiful, she feared even those in her size range wouldn't fit her. When she informed the shrew of her worries, she simply said that the shop could make adjustment in less than an hour.

"Alright, if I can have anything, I want a dress in a sturdy material that does not hinder my movements." She said with a smile. The antelope reappeared at their side.

"In that case, I may have a few model that may correspond to your needs." The mammal had been very silent, and led them to a few dresses. "Those models were conceived for the James Prongs movies. Those are, I must admit, subpar models, the ones from the movies were technically fire-proof. The silk is so tightly woven that it should be able to withstand knives slashes, if so was your wish."

The bunny bit her lips. The purple split dress looked really lovely, but its price tag was really insane. Well, maybe no more than the other things in the shop. "Can I try it on ?"

"Of course."

The antelope delicately took the dress from the dummy and accompanied her to a dressing booth.

"It may need adjustments, those are included in the price."

The bunny quickly slipped out of her clothes and in the dress. She had to struggle a bit, not used to this kind of garment. The dress was slightly too large but not by much. She got out of the booth.

"Judy ! You look so lovely !"

"True, the dress perfectly brings out the color of your eyes." Added the antelope.

The dress was long enough to cover most of her legs. She tried a couple of sidesteps, to see if she risked to step on it by mistake. She didn't.

"Could you step away a bit ? Koslov, could you...?" She extended a paw and the bear understood what she meant and put himself in posture. The bunny took a few bounces, bringing her paws in a fighting posture. She suddenly launched herself in the air, a flying kick hit in the bear's paw. The antelope and shrew gasped in surprise. The dress wasn't making things more difficult than her uniform.

"If you intend to use this garment in dangerous situations, may I suggest insuring it ?" Asked the antelope.

"I just don't like to be impaired in my movements."

"Of course, I understand perfectly." The antelope took a few steps around her while observing her. "The dress is a little loose on the waist and chest. We could adjust it, when would you need it done ?"

The bunny glanced at Fru Fru. "Noon, please." The shrew answered. The antelope frowned. "It's manageable. I'll take your measurements and our seamstress will get to work right away."

...

They got out of the shop and Judy gave a long sigh. "Are you okay Judy ?"

"This was more than a thousand bucks. How can a dress be that expensive ?"

"It's a really nice dress."

"For this price, it should have been fire-proof."

The shrew giggled. "You took it anyway. Let's go to the next store."

"Next store ?" The bear took them to a jewellery store. "No. No way. I am not buying jewelleries."

"You're technically not buying anything." Remarked the shrew while looking at the window display.

"I am not letting Nick buying me that type of stuff. Those are just overpriced rocks."

"Shiny overpriced rocks." Corrected the shrew. "And it's not Nick's gift, it's mine and dad's"

"Fru, I'm touched, really, but I can't let you pay give me something like this."

The shrew made a little wave and Koslov stuck his paws against each other. Fru Fru reached for Judy's paws. "Alright Judy, listen to me. I know you don't like to buy expensive stuff, I know you like to live with the bare necessity, but I like to make gifts. Don't you think you deserve it ?"

"Why would I deserve things like those ?"

"Judy, I'm the daughter of a mob boss. I live off criminal activities. You live off risking your life to make the world a better place. Between you and me, who do you think, deserves this stuff more ?"

"Fru, you know I don't think that way."

"Well, I do. So I'm buying you a bunch of expensive shiny rocks."

The bunny caved in. "Alright. Let's go buy rocks." and they entered the store. The place was classy, and the bunny didn't feel like she belonged at all. The clerk rose her head and saw Koslov, He made a slight nod and went back to his occupations. Obviously, he was used to see the bear in his shop.

There was a little footway for smaller mammals around the different showcases. At least, since she was part of that size category, the bunny knew the jewellry wouldn't be that expensive. "Don't they have anything in steel." Muttered the bunny.

"Judy, what kind of friend would I be if-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the bunny showed her the ring she was wearing. "I can punch rhinos with this."

"I always forget your standards are on the practical side."

"I'm not asking for a necklace that could double as cuffs. I just don't want it to break easily."

The shrew took a few steps to look at the exposed chains. "You need something simple anyway. It will suit you better. Why not that one ?" She showed a chain that had discreet iridescent reflections. The chain was made of an alloy of laminated steel and silver.

"Too... I don't know..."

"You're right. It's not your style. No we need something to highlight your eyes and goes nicely with the dress. Maybe... Yes. I think I got it." She jumped on the bears paw and showed him where she wanted him to drop her. The bunny followed.

"What do you think about this one ?"

...

"Finally." Sighed the bunny as they exited the store. A giggle came from the shrew. "This giggle can't be good news."

"You need a purse."

"I have a purse." Said the bunny, showing the small denim bag strapped to her shoulder.

"If you can make it work with the dress and the pendant, I'd be really impressed. I promise, it's the last thing on the shopping list."

"Fru, we've already blown the equivalent of two month and half of my salary."

"We'll choose something discreet that can go with everything, alright ? Not expensive but elegant."

"Okay." Sighed the bunny. "The date better be amazing, or I'm punching him in the face."

"Oh, it will be, don't worry."

...

They were back in the limo and Judy felt a little annoyed. Nick knew she wasn't especially fond of expensive clothes, so what would he push for her to go and buy this kind of stuff ? She didn't know. She felt in a slightly bad mood, but maybe it was because she had spent the better part of the morning running around, shopping and overall not seeing her fox. If she had to be honest, she felt a bit tired. And she knew she could get cranky when tired.

"Nick said you could need a little nap after all this." The shrew looked at her phone. "Once we're home, I think you could have around one hour of respite."

"I have to admit, I'd like to rest my eyes a bit. Maybe I'll sleep a little."

The shrew showed her a guest room and Judy took some shut-eye, waking just moments before Fru Fru went back to wake her up. "You had your beauty sleep ?"

"Yeah. I'm feeling better. I suppose it's time to dress up ?"

"Yup. I'll have Manchas bring your clothes to your home in the evening. Do you need help applying make up ?"

"If there is something I won't do, it's go heavy on the make up. That has never worked on me and it never will."

"Okey-dokey. The dress is on the hanger, come down whenever you're ready." And just like that, the shrew was gone.

The bunny got up from the bed and went to the dress. She undressed and put it on. She then applied her make up, only a light touch. No lipstick, no blush, only crayon. And lastly, she put on the amethyst necklace Fru Fru had bought her. It was simple rough stone, mounted on a discreet silver chain. She took the content of her denim handbag at put part of it in her purse, leaving aside the pepper spray and badge.

...

She got out of the room and found her way downstair. The Big's family and a couple of bears were waiting for her down the stairs and she looked for the fox, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Judith, my dear, you look stunning." Said Mr Big.

"Thanks."

"You look troubled too."

"I just thought Nick would be here." She sighed.

"Manchas will drive you to him."

Koslov accompanied her outside and opened the limo door for her. The panther looked at her through the rear view mirror. "Nick is a lucky fox." He commented.

"I didn't know panthers had a thing for bunny."

"Pretty like you are, you're bound to awake a few hunter's instinct." He joked, firing up the engine and driving away.

The ride was fairly short. The car stopped in front of the Palmtree Hotel. The place had a restaurant, one of the best and most expensive in the city. "Nick. For Carrot's sake." She sighed. The car door opened as Manchas opened the door for her and gave her his arm to step down.

"Thanks Renato."

"My pleasure."

...

She looked up and saw a red fox in a white tuxedo take a couple of steps down the stairs leading to the hotel before stopping. Nick's jaw fell slightly as he beamed at her. Seeing him so handsome and dashing in his costume, she half forgave him for putting her through a shopping session. He got down the few steps that remain between them and kissed her paw. She blushed like a highschooler. "Nick, people are looking." She whispered.

"Can you blame them ?" He smiled while giving her his arm. "I don't think I could put into words how beautiful you are."

The blush intensified.

"You're not so bad yourself." She answered, struggling to not hide herself behind her ears.

"Thanks."

He led her up the stairs while she felt the weight of the eyes upon them. "I thought I asked you not to go overboard."

"That part seem to have slipped out of my mind."

"That, or you purposely forgot about it."

"What would I be, if I ever did such a thing ?"

"A sly fox."

They entered the hotel and went to the restaurant. The place was extraordinary. A marble fountain in the center of the room created a complicated ballet of water. The crystal chandeliers looked like cascades falling from the ceiling which, in itself, could have occupied her eyes for hours. They sat at a table and the waiter brought them the menus.

"The waiting time for this place can be months long, how did you achieve that ?"

"Cashed in a favor. I know everyone remember ?"  
The bunny opened the menu. There were few items, but by the place's reputation, it would be of the greatest quality. She noticed that her menu didn't have prices on it. She looked up at the fox that had the corner of a sly grin on his face. "Nick, can I see your menu ?"

"Nope."

The bunny sighed. "Nick, I know that you're doing all this because you want to make me happy, but having you spending this much on me... It's kind of embarrassing." The fox put down his menu and stared at her without a hint of embarrassment. "I know how much you earn, I know how long it takes you to save so much money. It touches me that you're ready to do this for me, really, but I don't want you to do that. Just being with you is enough to make me happy"

Judy thought the fox would at least show some sort of apologetic expression but he smiled instead, taking her paw across the table. "When I fell in love with you, I just fell. Hard. It was stupid, it was nonsensical, illogical. Then I learned what kind of mammal you were. I fell a second time. It's because you see things that way, because of how simple and genuinely good you are, because you would never ask for those things, that I believe you deserve them. You deserve everything that I could give you." Nick sighed, looking for his word as Judy was left mute, fighting back the tears that were threatening to pour. "You talked about the time it took me to save that much money. I think every second of my life spent on you is an investment well made. If you want to see the prices on the menu, I can show them to you, but I'd like you to let me treat you anyway. I'm not doing it only for you, but also for myself. Getting you those things makes me happy too."

 _It's a good thing I didn't put on too much make up._

The tears were welling down the corners of Judy's eyes. "I- I have to go to the bathroom." She said, getting down from her chair and quickly getting away. Nick fought the urge to get after her.

He played with his napkin, wondering if he had overdone it a bit too much. He knew she wasn't fond of that kind of things, but he sometimes struggled to show her his appreciation.

...

He tore his attention from the napkin and looked for his bunny. She was coming back with a smile and fresh make up. She was so beautiful, he had trouble detaching his eyes from her. The way she walked in that purple dress, the way she smiled at him, he tried to burn that memory down in his mind. Where he'd keep it forever. "If you want to go somewhere else, we can." He proposed.

She took the menu she had left one the table and opened it again. "No, you've gone through so much trouble to organize today, I don't want to ruin it. I'll just have to relax a bit and learn to enjoy it."

The meal was beyond pleasant. It was perfect. The course were simple, focusing on a couple of tastes, but the dishes were so refined, that they could hardly focus on anything else than the food.

"This is a trap. How can we go back to regular food afterwards."

"I don't know. It's going to be hard. And have you tasted the wine ? I didn't I could actually like red wine."

They were still hesitating on the dessert when they heard a comossion coming from the door of the restaurant.

"Nobody moves, cooperate and everything will be fine !" Screamed a masked boar as him and a half dozen other mammals entered, guns in hand. Judy turned to Nick, wondering for a second if he also had organized it, but the way he made a steak knife disappear in his sleeve and how his posture instantly changed told her that it wasn't the case.

The bandits spread out in the restaurant.

The boar jumped on a table.

"Every female, take down your jewellery, and give it to my colleagues as they get near your table. Watches, rings, bracelets, wallets, I want everything in the bags."

As one of the armed mammal went to a table, a zebra tried to protest, as an answer he got a teeth-breaking rifle butt to the snout.

"They're too spread out." Whispered the bunny. "It could be dangerous for the civilians."

"Do you have your pepper spray ?"

"I left it at Big's manor."

"Crap. Smartphone ?"

"Yup."

"Alright. I have a plan, do you want to do this or do we sit this one out ?"

The bunny had little sly smile. "I want to do this."

"After I'm gone, wait thirty seconds, and call my number."

The bandits were still away from their table. Waiting for an opening in their vigilance, the fox lept under a nearby table. Using the tablecloths as hiding spots, he went from table to table, going around the fountain and through the room. Slowly counting in her head the bunny lost sight of him.  
Thirty.

More worried for his safety than for hers, she dialed his number. Suddenly, the muffled scream of a police siren was heard from the dining room doors. The outlaws all turned toward the noise. Not losing that opportunity, the bunny launched herself toward the one, a wolf, that had gone the further toward the back of the room, and away from his allies. Luckily, the other criminals weren't looking in his direction and so she lept and kicked him in the face. Out cold, he let go of his gun. She caught it as she rolled down but put it away, it was too big for her.

At the other side of the room, Nick noticed a mammal near the fountain. He was hidden from his allies eyes. He launched himself and got under the buffalo who was carrying a shotgun and in a swift motion, cut a tendon. The horned mammal fell to the ground before he could actually feel the pain. The fox didn't leave him time to react and elbowed him in the throat. The shotgun was too big for him to use, and Nick rolled under a table, toward another smaller gun carrying mammal.  
The attackers hadn't noticed that two of their allies had fallen yet, but as their chief looked around, he noticed that something was amiss.

As she went from a table to another, a weasel holding a submachine gun saw her. "Miss, get back to your seat, no one is leaving." The bunny stopped dead in her track. Her phone was still in her hand and she purposely let it fall to the ground. She faked getting down to take it back, to hide the fact that her right foot had recoiled, ready to kick. "I said get back to you place you stupid bi-"

*THWACK*

The smartphone flew at an almost sonic speed. Judy's hope that it could survive the kick shattered when the device exploded in the weasel's face. The battery had probably been breached by the kick. She didn't take time to analyse what had happened and rushed to the weasel, taking the gun from his paws. This one had the right size. She rolled and took position on a knee, ready to aim at the next attacker.

Knife still in hand, Nick made his way to a second criminal. They were now on alert, looking right and left at what was taking their allies down. Though he was discreet and careful to not be noticed by them, he could see the fearful glance the patrons gave him as he passed between them. The ram he was aiming for was a few meters away, but he started turning toward him. Nick realised he wouldn't reach him in time. Skidding, he threw the knife, hoping the hours spent training at the dartboard wouldn't be for nothing. The knife connected with its target, but sadly, only by its handle. Nick had started running and by chance the ram was looking at his hoof, trying to see what had hit him. He saw the knife on the ground, lifted his gaze, saw the white and red blur that bolted toward him. He tried to take aim and fired a couple of round but missed his target. The fox took the lower path and punched him in the lower abdomen. The ram emitted a high pitched groan before falling to his knees and throwing up. Nick took the rifle he was carrying and cracked its butt on the ram's hard neck. The caprine slumped to the floor.

"You stupid fuck !" Came a deep voice. One of the attacker, a black bear was aiming at him. Nick was tempted to take shelter behind a table but it would mean putting a civilian between him and the gun. Before he could react, a detonation was heard and blood flew. The bear looked at his bloody shoulder with surprise and let go of his weapon. The fox didn't wait for him to understand what was happening. He lunged to the rams rifle and aimed at the bear. "Lie on the ground, paws behind your head." A bit lost, he did half of what he had been ordered and fell to his knees, staring at the paw he had used to wiped his shoulder. Obviously, the bear was in shock. It seemed he wasn't used to see his own blood. Nick carefully turned his attention to the rest of the room, keeping the bear in his field of vision.

...

Judy saw the bear aim and interject at what she believed was her fox. She instinctively shot his shoulder to make him let go of his weapon. She only had the time to shoot two times, one miss and one hit, before she saw the boar charge her from the corner of her eyes. Why he had chosen to charge instead of shooting, she didn't know, but it gave her the time to evade his attack. He only caught her with his shoulder and she was sent flying toward a table while he stumbled into another, entangling himself in the tablecloth. Bracing for impact, she rolled herself in a ball, but a tiger patron caught her and broke her fall, putting her back on her feet.

"Thanks sir."

"G-Go get them miss Hopps."

She didn't need to hear it twice and ran to the gun that she had let go off, when she saw the seventh and last attacker, a giraffe, take aim at her. She was about to leap away from his line of fire when a grizzly waiter jumped him, hanged himself at his neck and pummeled him to the ground. She didn't wait to see exactly what was happening, the sound of the punches being enough to guess that the giraffe wasn't having a great day. She picked up the gun and aimed at the boar that had just finished untangling himself from the tablecloth.

"Lie down on the floor, hooves behind your head." The boar searched the room for his allies but he saw he was alone. "Lie down on the floor."

"Or what cute bunny ? Are you going to shoot me ?" He said mockingly, taking a step toward her.

She took a warning shot, the bullet hitting a spot an inch away from his right foot. "I am Judith Laverne Hopps, officer of the ZPD and you are ruining my date. Lie down on the floor, hooves behind your head, or get shot." She ostensibly took aim at his forehead. "Last. Warning."

The boar finally complied and the bunny heard steps behind her. She instantly turned to aim at the grizzly waiter's belly who was dragging a beat up giraffe on the carpeted floor. "Wot do I do of dis one miss Hopps ? I mean, Officer Hopps ?"

"Huh ? Leave him there where I can see him." Not taking time to look up, she pointed at the rest of the room. "Could you please go and make sure no one touches anything or approach the-"

A thunder of applause erupted from the room as everyone realised what had happened. Smartphone were taken out and most mammals were already taking photos and selfies. Nick suddenly reappeared and quickly took out his own phone, taking a picture of her. "Sorry sweetheart. You looked so cool, I couldn't resist."

"Nick, we need to calm them down and find a way to restrain the criminals. Did you take care of the three others ?"

"They shouldn't wake up for the next few minutes, except for the black bear who is still in shock." He pointed to him between the table, he was still holding his shoulder with and wearing a haggard expression. "All we need now is-"

The doors suddenly opened and a SWAT team entered the room. They covered all the corners before getting in and cuffing the criminals. One of them took their helmet out.

"Blackfur ! How are you doing ?" Asked Judy with a smile.

The panda gave her a little professional smile. "I'm good. We only had the time to get to the security room to plan our entry when we saw the boar surrender."

"You were still quick." Said Judy, giving the gun to an officer who put it in a large plastic bague.

"We were tipped off." She admitted in a low voice.

Suddenly, the sound of siren was heard again. "Incoming call. Be right back." The fox ran to the other side of the room, near the door and got back with a puzzled look.

"It's the chief."

"Well, pick up, what are you waiting for." Said the bunny.

"Blackfur, does he know what happened here ?" Asked the fox with a concerned expression.

"I gave him a short radio report just before entering the restaurant."

Nick winced and tapped the little green icon. "What the hell were you thinking ! And why isn't officer Hopps picking up !" Despite the fact that Nick hadn't put the call on speaker, he was pretty sure most mammals in the dining room were hearing the chief's shout.

"I broke my phone sir." Explained the bunny.

"And did you break your common sense as well ? Acting that way in the middle of civilians, unarmed and with no back up ? You better hope none of them got harmed !"

"Actually sir, none of them were." Intervened the panda.

It was true, they had acted impulsively and with complete disregard for anymammal's safety. Judy suddenly felt mortified. "I'm sorry sir. I acted impulsively and-"

"Impulsive is a weak word in that context. I expected better from two of my top officers !" They heard a long angry sigh coming from the chief's side. "I don't need to explain to you how lucky you were that no civilian was hurt. If anything had gone wrong, it could have meant the end of your careers. I want to see you both first thing tomorrow in the morning." And before they could even answer, he hung up.

They stayed stun for a couple of seconds before Judy could talk again. "And there goes my promotion." She sighed. Nick lifted a brow, it was unusual for her to act so dismissively. "Do you need to take our statement ?" She asked the panda.

Blackfur looked around as officers were taking notes of all the present mammal's identity. "Not right now. Your report will suffice, unless the chief wants it done completely by the books."

"Who tipped you off ?" Asked Nick in a low tone.

"We don't know. We received an anonymous call around a dozen minutes before the criminals arrived here. We didn't even know you were here before we saw the images on camera." She looked around to find that her colleagues had finished their tasks and most of the other mammals had been evacuated from the premises.

"Well, since all is good, we're going to go, but you should leave the crimescene too."

They followed the panda out in the hotel main hallway. She left and the couple looked around. There were a couple of paramedics, but they didn't have much to do, aside from psychological support. It seemed that despite those events, the hotel wouldn't close for the day.

"Wait, isn't that..." Whispered Judy, staring at the grizzly that had fought the giraffe earlier. "No way !" She exclaimed, bouncing toward him. Nick followed her with a puzzled expression. "Herbert ? Is that you ?"

The grizzly was discussing with another waiter, a moose, when he turned to her. He was wearing an eyepatch but aside from that, his face had completely recovered.

"Miss Hopps, it's me. Ah' thought yo had recognized me earlier." The other waiter had a little cough. "Sorry sir." Apologized the bear, speaking more slowly. "I'll be more careful." The bunny lifted a brow. "I must be careful with the way I talk to maintain the hotel's image." He explained.

"Oh of course."

"Miss Hopps, Mister Wilde. It's an honor to meet you, but I sadly must return to my work." Bowed the other waiter. "Herbert, do what I asked you to and then you can take the rest of your day off." And he left.

"Thanks sir." He turned back to the couple. "It's so nice to see you. I didn't know you had come to eat here. It's a nice coincidence."

"Yeah. Oh, Herbert, this is Nicholas. Nick, meet Herbert."

"Nice meeting you Herbert, please call me Nick." Greeted the fox.

"Nice meetin' ya- Nice to meet you too, Nick." The bear and fox shook paws.

"Where did you two meet ?" Asked Nick.

Judy and Herbet glanced at eachother and the grizzly suddenly looked really embarrassed. "You technically already met eachother." Began the rabbit.  
Nick's puzzled look remained for a few shorts seconds before the realization hit. "Holy crap ! It's you ! You were the... I mean, yeah we kind of met already."  
The grizzly scratched his neck. "I'm sorry I shot at you."

"I'm sorry for your eye." Nick answered uncomfortably. It was one of the few times Judy saw him really taken aback.

"That's okay. I'm managing without it."

"By the way," cut the bunny to change topic. "You really look like you took your life around ! How are things going ?"

"Well, after I left the hospital, I went to the free detox center your colleague gave me a card of. After what I did, I didn't want to have anything to do with drugs. I kicked the habit more quickly than I thought I would, and I found a job as a waiter in a little restaurant. Then I got a bit lucky, and after a bit of a misunderstanding, I landed a job here."

"A bit of a misunderstanding ?" Asked the fox.

"I had put in an application for a job here. The guy that called me had confused my application for another, but since it was his mistake, he accepted to try me for a week. I've been working here for three months now."

"That's very nice of him, most other would simply have refused you the job." Observed the bunny.

"True. Oh, by the way, your meal is payed for by the hotel, as a gift for what you just did. My boss asked me to tell that to you. And since no mammal will pay for their meal tonight, and the hotel want to make you a real gift, I'll give you a coupon for a three days stay, with all services included. Please follow me."

He led them near the front desk where he talked to the receptionist. A couple of minute later, they had an official sheet of paper with the establishment's stamp on it.

"Even if you lose it, it's in the system anyway. It simply will be easier to set you up if you come with it." Judy took it and folded it to store it in her wallet. "Well, I won't keep you any longer. I'll change back to my street clothes and get off." He waved and left. The bunny and fox were near the hotel's exit.  
"Did you have anything else planned ?"

Nick was a bit taken aback. He turned to his bunny with a surprised expression. "I thought with the attack thing and chief's Buffalo Butt's speech, you wouldn't really be in the date mood anymore."

She played with his collar, pulling it a bit to make him lean and give him a kiss. "You've put so much effort in it, I'd hate it to end that way."

"Okay. Just give me a second." He took his phone and sent a text. A few seconds later it gave a short ring. "Manchas is on his way. He'll be here in a minute." He pulled her against him. "Are you enjoying yourself so far ?"

"Very. It was nice, the riddle thing. But don't ever make me go shopping again. Or at least, not on this price range." They got out of the hotel, going through the police cordon to end up in front of a bunch of press mammals.

"Crud." Sighed the bunny. A half-dozen cops were keeping the journalist at bay, but it was obvious that the couple wouldn't be able to go through that easily.

"Miss Hopps ! Mister Wilde, is it true that you are dating ?" Came a voice. Judy and Nick glanced at each other , it was as good as time as any.

"Yes. Yes we are." Answered the bunny. "But if you really need us to answer questions, let's do it away from the police cordon, to let them do their work."

The police-mammals gave them worried look but Judy waved at them to signal they were okay with the press question. And if it could get them out of the way of the police, it was good thing too.

"How long have you two been together ?"

"Since before Nick's coma." Answered the bunny without really thinking.

"Isn't it against regulation for partners to be dating ?" Came another voice.

"This is why we're not partners anymore." Explained Nick.

"Is it true you took on seven criminals by yourself while unarmed ?"

"Yes, but we were very lucky. They weren't expecting us." Since they didn't want to make things harder for the chief, Nick added. "This is not a point we wish to discuss further."

"What would you answer if a mammal said that you, as a fox, had manipulated miss Hopps into dating you ?" At that question, the other journalists calmed a bit. It was obvious what the question entailed, and it was asked in a way twisted enough so that the one that had asked it wouldn't completely look like a bigoted specist.

"Nick didn't 'manipulate me' into dating him. The simple fact that some mammal could believe it is offensive !" Judy responded a bit aggressively. Nick put a paw on her shoulder. She looked like she was about to go and find the one that had asked the question to punch him in the face.

"Judy wouldn't let herself be manipulated by the conniving fox that I am. I dare believe that she fell in love with me as much as I fell in love with her. If anymammal could believe that me, the 'predator', would have trapped her, the 'meek prey'. " He said, making quotation signs with his fingers. "Let me answer this : There is absolutely nothing meek about this bunny."

"But isn't it unnatural ?"

Those question were slowly getting on the bunny's nerve. Nick, as a fox was on the other paw used to be questioned and doubted. "What exactly do you mean by natural ? We wear clothes made of synthetic fibers, we were glasses, hearing aids, we use phones, computers, cameras, microphone. We cook our food, we use electricity, nuclear power, gas. What is natural in our way of life ? Is our relationship questioned because we can't have kids in natural ways ? What about those using fertility medications ? Adoptions ? I don't think the 'natural' argument has ever been a valid one."

Behind the journalist, they saw Manchas' limo stop in front of the stairs. "Now if you could please make way, we'd like to go." As they went through the small crowd, they were bombarded with unintelligible questions. One came through as they approached the limo's door.

"Miss Hopps, I see a ring on your finger. Has mister Wilde Proposed yet ?"

"Yes." She smiled. "Yes he did."

 _Might as well give them a nice picture._

She pulled Nick's collar again and grabbed his bowtie making him lean, trapping his lips in a long kiss. A hail of flashes caught them. They then entered the car and installed themselves in the backseat.

...

"I heard that something happened at the hotel. Is everyone alright ?" Asked Manchas in the driver seat.

"No one was hurt."

"Good. Do I get you to the- to your next destination ?"

"Yes please." Answered Nick. The panther closed the glass and took off. "I must be honest with your Carrots, with the shopping and restaurant, I knew what I was doing. But this, I don't know if you will like."

"As long as the limo isn't taking us to the Mystic Spring Oasis..."

"No it's not. Don't worry."

The bunny leaned against her mate and kissed him before putting her head on his shoulder. "Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it will be nice." His arm came around her shoulder and he kissed her forehead.

The bunny suddenly gave a long sigh. Nick lifted an inquisitive brow. "I'm impulsive, aren't I ?"

"You mean, about the thing in the restaurant ?"

"Yeah. We could have waited, see how it evolved. And chances were, no one would have been injured. I mean, badly. You were there, you seemed to have a plan... I wanted you to have a plan. I Just wanted to act so badly."

"Heh. Don't blame yourself too much. Or blame us together. I was so happy to see some action, and especially while with you..."

"Being on patrol without you is just not the same. Buster is good but... Not the same. Taking those guys down... It was just like working together again."

Nick chuckled. "And it's been only a month... What I wouldn't give just to be on parking duty with you..."

"We'll get used to it. I know we will !"

He leaned down and kissed her. "We still have the time off work to see each other. We still live together."

The limo stopped and a few second later the door opened. Nick got off first and offered his arm to the bunny. She came out off the car and looked where they were.

"Nick. Are you really taking me to the opera ?"

"I guess I am. It seemed to be the right thing after the dress, the restaurant and everything." He shrugged. "The tickets are still refundable if you're not up to it."

"I've never been to an opera. What are we watching ?"

The fox took the tickets from his pocket. "Rheingold, by Richard Walrus. First part of a four part opera. I think it's more listening than watching. No idea what this is about though."

...

The music was one of the most powerful thing Nick had ever heard. He had nor the words nor the experience to describe it, but the way he had lived the experience was nothing compared to how Judy had reacted. The moment the music had started, he had felt her grip tighten on his paw, and she hadn't let go for the whole duration of the piece. He saw her perked ears twitch at every subtle change in the music. He knew bunny hear was better than most mammals, but he didn't think she'd be that into it. Her eyes were gleaming with amazement and when it ended she turned to him with an expression that he could only read as 'I want more.'

"So, I take it you enjoyed it ?" He asked casually while leading her back to the car.

"It was fantastic !" As a kid, she hadn't been exposed to that kind of music. Her father had jazz and blues disc that he listened to sometimes, but she never cared much for it. "We must go and see the other three parts !"

"I know they're playing the second part next week and so on if you want."

"Yes ! Yes I do."

They went back to the limo and the panther took off with them. Nick was browsing the web on his phone while the bunny took his free arm and put it around her shoulders. "So, any other surprise for today ?"

Nick looked away from his phone to hug her properly. "I'm afraid it's the end of our date. Hope you're not too disappointed."

The bunny kissed his neck just under his chin. "It's been wonderful. You really thought about everything." She gave a little sigh. "Getting back to normal life will be hard. The simple idea of preparing food this evening feels horrible in comparison to the rest of the day."

"Good thing I just ordered our dinner online then." He said, putting back the phone in his pocket.

"Did I ever say to you that I love you."

"I remember it occurring a couple of times."

"I love you."

"I love you too."


	16. Family Portrait

_**Foxlover 91 :** As far as dates go, I doubt they'll ever get a normal one. Then again, why would they want them to be normal ?  
Yeah, I wanted the bear to have his happy ending. Happy endings sometimes happen. Sometimes they don't, and things fall appart at the most unexpected moment. **  
**_

 _ **Nick3Wilde :** Glad you like my work :)  
Don't worry it's not over yet. We're nearing the end but there is still quite a few chapters to go._

 _ **Cemsay :** I don't know how to answer that without sounding either like a complete condescending jackass or a complete patronizing jackass.  
I'll give you the same advice I give myself : look for what you think is better in the other's writing and try to use it in your own work. _

* * *

_**Chapter 16 :** Family Portrait_

 _Beginning of January 2020_

Clawhauser was, as per usual, bringing the files of the day to chief's office. He knocked to the door.

"Come in." Came a half muffled and tired voice. The cheetah entered to see the large frame of the buffalo slightly slumped on his desk, his face resting on one hoof while he was writing with the other. The chief's scowl was sterner than usual. When he glanced up to the cheetah, his expression softened. Straightening up, he took the file the cheetah was giving him.

Usually the cheetah would say something nice or come near him but this time he simply stared silently at chief with and expectant and curious expression.

"Yes Ben ?"

The feline glanced at the clock on the desk before asking. "Are you okay Adrian ?"

The chief took out his phone and browsed a bit before giving it to the feline. It showed a video uploaded to pawtube showing the events of the restaurant from different angles. It seemed that despite their fear, some mammals had taken out their phone and filmed what was a happening. The different segments could be found individually on the website, but somemammal had already taken the time to create a complete video.

The feline watched it from beginning to end, it was shorter than the report and witness statements suggested. The points of views flew from the bunny to the fox back and forth to show the events that played simultaneously. The fox was seen going from table to table and throwing his phone which slid near the exit door. Clawhauser winced when he saw Nick immediately use his knife to bring the first opponent down. The footage was pretty brutal and felt slightly unreal. He was amazed, and a bit frightened by how proficient the both of them were in paw to paw combat. When the bear was shot, he gulped, the memory of the shooting from a few months prior coming back to his mind but he didn't let himself get overwhelmed. After the video was finished, he gave the phone back to his superior. "They were impressive."  
"They were impulsive. They were reckless. They... I need a drink." He took out the half-finished whisky bottle and put it on the desk. "Want some ?"

The feline still didn't like it but he didn't have the heart to let the buffalo drink alone. "Why not."

The buffalo filled two glasses and slid one to the cheetah. He lifted his glass and downed half of it, the feline did the same with a wince.

"Impulsive, lucky, stupid... You were right, she's way too young for a promotion." Sighed the chief. The cheetah sipped again, waiting to see where the chief's train of thought was going. "It's that gut feeling. She's a promising officer, and I can feel it. Most of the time she acts like it, but sometimes... She does things like this." The buffalo stood up to go and face the windows, looking at the setting sun. "Are all the young officer so eager ?"

He felt a paw reach for his hoof and gently brush his palm. "What do you think ?"

"They are, just not as much as she is." The buffalo finished his glass and put it back on his desk. "Let's not talk about this. I'll deal with it tomorrow. In another matter..." He took the empty glass in the cheetah's paw, before leaning and kissing him. While doing so, he felt a light tug on his tie. "Are you free this evening ?"

"I may be able to clear my schedule." Answered the cat before pulling the tie and bringing the buffalo back in the kiss.

The bunny and fox felt like the time had slow down as they had made their way from their home to the ZPD and to the chief's office. They were facing the dreaded door and about to knock when it suddenly opened showing the cheetah's round and surprised face. "Oh guys, you're already here ? I was just uhm... Greeting the chief. That's it. Just 'have a nice day' thing." There was a light scoff coming from behind the chief's. The feline stepped aside to let them in and then left the room. The two mammals couldn't keep themselves from having a discreet smile, despite the fact that they were probably about to get chewed out. The chief's scowl slowly brought them back to reality.

"Reports." He simply said, extending a paw. They give to him and he quickly went through them. He didn't need it really, since he had seen the camera footage from the restaurant, but having the insights of officers sometimes brought up things that cameras couldn't. Putting away the files, he asked. "Now what exactly went through your head to make you act the way you did ?"

"Well I-" Began Judy.

"It's just-" Started the fox.

"You go fir-"

"After you-"

They stopped talking at the same time under the chief's annoyed glare. He pointed at the bunny.

"We were at the restaurant and those guys entered, and I just thought that I needed to arrest them."

"Don't blame yourself. I wanted to get them at least as much as you."

"Yeah, but I'm the superior officer."

"I'm not working under you anymore, so..."

The buffalo scoffed again. The two mammals went mute. He pointed to the fox.

"I... When those guys came in, I was just pissed. I had planned this date so well, and they were about to ruin it. I just wanted to stop them. And it felt like the right thing to do."  
The chief turned back to the bunny.

"They were criminals, I am a cop. I had to arrest them. I didn't even think about it. Nick had-"

"That's it, exactly." Cut the chief's cold voice. "You. Didn't. Think. You just acted." Silence fell on the room, while the two mammals took in the first blow. "Do you know why I consider you both to be good officers ?"

They both had a few ideas, but they knew it wasn't the time to answer riddles, so they simply shook their head.

"You have good instinct. When you have to act without having to think, when you rely on your instinct, you act the right way." Small smile slowly brightened the two small mammal's faces. He lifted a hoof and stopped them dead in their tracks. "But, having good instincts is not an excuse to not think. Your instincts can be great. But you have to be driven by something else than your impulses." He stopped, putting his ideas back in order. "Even though I don't have anything to say about how you spend your time while off duty, I expect my officers to protect civilians. But I also expect them to follow regulation. You attacked without warning, and that's not something I can condone, even though I know things would have gone a different way if you had." The chief sighed. "So, to put it simply, you both screwed up. Big time. And if I had to take a guess, you stepped into action because you were together, and really, really wanted to work together again." They both silently nodded.

"I'm disappointed, but it's partly my fault. I have really high expectations for the both of you, but I sometimes forget how little experience you both have. Officer Hopps,

I shouldn't have talked to you about that promotion, and so, I'm sorry to say that you'll have to wait for it a little longer. It's not a sanction, you're simply not ready yet." He leaned forward a bit. "Two weeks parking duty, that is your sanction."

"To which partner will Corporal Buster be reassigned to while-"

"He's going with you. He's young, I'd have sent him do a bit of it at some point anyway. Helps put the new recruits' or anymammal's heads back on their shoulders."

The bunny understood the underlying statement and gave a little sigh but didn't protest. "That will be all, officer Hopps. You're dismissed."

"Have a nice day sir." She said, getting to the door. Before leaving, she turned back. "I'm happy for you both, sir." He gave her the slightest of nods and she left the room, leaving the fox and buffalo alone.

"Officer Wilde, I'd like to ask you about this." He turned his computer screen to show parts of the fox's fight. The knife cut and kick to the ram's groin. "They were armed, so you were not really playing with the 'excessive use of force' line..." The chief didn't say more, waiting for the fox's reaction. He gritted his teeth. Now that he saw how he had acted from the outside, Nick could see how cold-blooded he had been. He hadn't only tried to take them down, each of his blow had been thrown with full force, even when unnecessary. He hadn't thought about it at the moment, and neither had he afterwards.

"I'd like to know what you think about how you acted."

Nick hesitated, but he knew honesty was always the best course of action with the chief.

"I wish I could say I feel bad about it, about how ruthless I acted. But I really don't. In that kind of situation, any hesitation can lead to dire consequences. I needed to take him down and it was the quickest and surest way."

The chief stared at Nick, keeping and indecipherable expression.

"I do feel bad about not feeling bad. If that makes sense."

The chief had seen it happen to some officer. Some of those that saw the worst things the city had to offer came out changed. Some broke and resigned. Some hardened, and gained more resolve. Some got angry. "It makes sense. But keep in mind that as an officer of the ZPD you took an oath to protect and serve. It also means avoiding unnecessary harm or casualties, including in the criminal ranks."

Nick sighed and looked at his feet. "I know chief. I'm sorry. I'll be more careful."

"I know you will. You're dismissed."

The fox was slightly taken aback. "No sanction ?"

"Given the nature of your current assignment, I don't think it would be wise to waste your time. Unless you really want one ?"

"No thanks." The fox took a few steps back, before a grin started appearing on his face. "I think you're a good match for each-"

"Do not push your luck, Wilde."

"Okey-dokey, have a nice day." And the vulpine disappeared through the door.

The buffalo hadn't talked about the segment that had run on TV the evening prior. Their answers to the question that had been asked were good. They had taken a risk by revealing for how long they had been together, but the news hadn't focused on that. Instead, the part that had been broadcasted the most was Nick's speech on what was natural.

* * *

 _Beginning of January 2020_

"So, is everything ready ?" Asked the ursine. It was almost a rhetorical question, she had participated in the visit of the apartment, to be sure that the child would have everything she needed to settle in. The last documents had been signed

"Yup. Everything is set." Answered the vixen.

"You're still nervous." Smiled Andersine.

"Well, the first and last time we really met, she was a bit guarded, so I don't really know if she wants to-"

The bear gave a chuckle. "Don't worry about that. I think she's actually looking forward to it."

"Did she say something ?"

"It's more of a general impression."  
They were led to the room where they had first met. The kit was waiting there next to a sport bag that looked a tad big, earbud in her ears. When the newcomer entered, she took out the earbuds from her ears. "Hi." She greeted in her shy voice.

"Hello." Greeted Finnick.

"Hi." Said the vixen.

"Ready to go Hollie ?" Asked the bear. As an answer, the kit nodded, putting the large bag on her shoulder.

"Do ya need help wid' dat ?" Asked the male fennec. She shook her head. The little group made its way to the parking lot were Finnick's van was waiting. He had made some modification in it, and there was now one more seatbelt for the large passenger front seat. He slid open the back door. "You can put your bag here."

After having stored her bag, she turned around. The bear had leaned on one knee to be a bit more at eye level. "I guess this is good bye Hollie."

" 'Bye miss Andersine."

"Be nice with them, alright ?" The fennec kid nodded and Vivienne invited her to climb in.

Finnick and Vivienne shook the ursine's paw and climbed in.

The ride was completely silent. The two adults felt a bit awkward with this kid they knew so little about sitting between them. They took the elevator and entered the flat. The place had two room, one for the kid and one for Finnick and Vivienne. There was also a smaller room that the fennec had transformed into his art room. The kitchen and living room were only separated by a workplan and low cupboards.

The kid took a few steps in, looking around with a shy curiosity.

"Wanna see yo' room ?" Proposed the fennec. She nodded and they leaded her to it.

"Sorry if it's a bit bare, we don't know what you like." There truly wasn't much in the room. They had found some second hand construction toys and had filled a few shelves with books, since they supposed she liked to read. There also was a wardrobe to store her clothes and belongings.

"I could paint a wall for ya if ya want. I nice big mural with whatevah you like."

The kit let the bag slump from her shoulder. "This is my room ?" Came a little voice.

"Yeah, it's not really much. Sorry about that."

Her shoulders had started shaking. "It's o-okay."

"Oh sweetheart." Vivienne rushed to the kid and pulled in an embrace. The change had to be a lot to take in. Finnick approached and joined in on the hug.

"Ya alright kit."

The hug didn't last long, it seemed the kit was used to pull herself together quickly. When she back down, they saw that she was actually smiling. Shyly, but still, it was a smile.

"Do you want to see the other rooms ?"

The kid nodded and followed them. They showed her their room. It wasn't much larger than hers, not really decorated either, aside from the red curtains Vivienne had brought from her old place. "Don't hesitate to come and ask if you need anything, even at night, alright ?"

"Just, think ta knock before comin' in." Added the fennec. The vixen gave him a discreet glare to which he answered with an innocent look.

Next was the little vulpine atelier. "Dis is where I work. I'd prefer for you to not touch anyt'in without asking me first."

The little vulpine nodded. They took her to the living room where she saw the five paintings. She looked at them with curiosity. She instantly recognized Vivienne and Finnick, but got stuck on the other. The bunny particularly surprised her. "Who are they ?" She asked.

"It's my family. Mine and Fin's." She had been tempted to say 'our family' but she didn't to push the kit to accept them as her family yet. She wanted let her get there at her own pace. "I'm sure you recognized Fin and me here." She said pointing at the two picture. "This is John, my previous husband. He's... Um..." Knowing of the kit's past, she didn't want to bring back that kind of memory.

"He's dead, isn't he ?" Despite the blunt question, the kid had asked it softly, taking the vixen's paw in hers.

"Yeah. He is." It still stinged, that was the kind of pain that never really went away. "This is Nicholas, Nick, my son." The vixen saw the cogs starting to turn in the kids mind, her face brightened when she recognized the bunny. "Is this Judy Hopps ?"

"Yep, they're engaged. We consider her part of the family."

The kid didn't really know what to say or feel. She felt a bit lost, not knowing if she should be happy to be here or not. The three last times a family had been found for her, her mother had been better and able to take her back. Each time, she had been torn away from people she had come to know and like. Now that her mother was gone, her feelings were all mixed up.

She had frozen in front of the pictures, but felt a paw on her shoulder. "You okay sweetheart ?"

The kid nodded. She wasn't really much of a talker, but Vivienne and Finnick believed she was slowly warming up to them.

The couple felt a bit at loss on how to act now that the kid was at their home. They didn't want her to think they weren't ready to care for her, but on the other hand, they didn't want to pressure her by staying constantly at her side.

"What d'ya wanna do ?" Finnick's inquiry was met with a shrug. "Well, there are games in yo' room. And books too..."

They accompanied her to her room and she took a book at random on the shelf. The Golden Compass, by Philip Woolman. Since they weren't into book, they had asked a clerk at a thrift book shop what kind of things a kid would like. He had showed them the kid's section and given them a relatively large number of recommendations.

As a result they had bought everything that he had named, and more by the same authors if they could find it. It was a gamble, she had a book that they knew she read, but maybe it was more of a heirloom and she had no real interest in books.

"Can I read on the sofa."

"Sure." Answered the vixen. They sat next to each other and she pulled the knitting she had started from one of the coffee table's drawer. She was trying herself at new hobby. Sewing definitely wasn't her thing, and it reminded her too much of previous husband, and she didn't really like it anyway. Finnick had tried to teach her painting, but he himself was mostly self-taught, and he made for a lousy teacher. And contrary to him, she was really reluctant to get paint in her fur. Knitting was a good choice, it occupied her hands and let her mind wander. Nick had teased her a bit about her turning into a grandma. Her answer that she was still waiting to have grandchildren had shut him up.

Finnick had gone back to his atelier, she could hear the music playing on his radio since he had left the door open. Some mammal had ordered him a painting and he was already a bit behind on his work.

Vivienne glanced at Hollie. She was sitting sideways on the couch, the book she was reading in hand, and the old book she carried everywhere on her laps, her rear on the armrest. She was tempted to ask her to sit straight, but Finnick always sat on the armrest next to her so that he could put an arm around her shoulder. Or at least around her back. The kid was giving the occasional glance every two pages or so toward the ateliers open door. Vivienne discreetly turned and saw that the way she was placed, the kit could perfectly see inside Finnick's atelier.

To Finnick, until he had met Nick, all kids were nothing but loud balls of problems. His experience with the fox had changed his mind on the loud part, and later on the problem part. He wasn't expecting Hollie to be even more guarded and quiet than Nick was when they first met. Her upbringing had been worst than Nick's, it was hard to not take pity on her. But as Andersine had said to them, the kit didn't need saviors, she needed parents. And hell if he wouldn't be able to be a decent parent.

As far as education was concerned, they needed to find her a school, but it wasn't the biggest priority. She first needed to acclimate herself to her new environment and form strong bond with her foster parents. Sending her in a new environment right out of the foster-center wasn't the thing to do. It was a good thing that Finnick could work from home, otherwise, having that kid could have been quite the challenge.

Dinner was uneventful and mostly silent, the awkwardness was still palpable. It was followed by a movie on the TV they had bought. Vivienne still refused to have it connected to the network, and Finnick didn't really care about it either, but having something to watch movie on was always nice.  
They would usually watch somthing, either with Finnick sitting on the armrest and her against him, or him with his head on her laps. But it appeared that the habit would have to change for the time being, the kit in her pajamas having placed herself in the middle of the sofa. They had chosen for an animated movie, something she could watch with them.

But she didn't watch for long, ending up dosing off against the vixen's side. It seemed the emotion filled day had used all her energy. Anyway, it was the conclusion to which the couple came to. Vivienne took the kit in her arms and carried her to her room, no point on letting her sleep on the sofa.

She laid her in the bed sitting on the edge of bed to pull up the sheets. The action stirred up memories. Memories of Nick, of when she did the same for him. She caressed the kit's cheek. The gut feeling was here, the instinct, she knew they had made the right choice. She was about to get up when she felt a tug on her dress, the kit's paws clutching her dress. Her eyes were half-closed, but she wasn't completely asleep. The vixen decided to stay until she completely fell into slumber.  
Finnick had stayed in front of the TV at first, but when his wife didn't come back he wondered if something had happened. In got down from the sofa and went to the kid's room. He saw Vivienne sitting on the bed's edge, gazing at the sleeping kit. He was going to paint that scene. He just had to. It was the kind of instant he wished he could witness forever. He rubbed his eyes, that felt a bit itchy, and went back to the living room.

...

In the morning, the vixen had woken up the first, since she was working that day at hotel. Finnick was still sleeping, it seemed the little vulpine would never be an early riser, not that she minded. She was preparing her breakfast when she heard some noise coming from Hollie's room. The door was open so all she had to do was lean to look inside. She saw the little vulpine get out of the room in her pajamas, rubbing the slumber away from her eyes. The vixen looked at her phone, she still had a bit of time before having to go to work.

"Good morning sweety, did you sleep well ?"

" 'Morning." She took a few hesitant steps toward the table.

"Hungry ?" asked the vixen, taking out a cereal box. "I can also make toasts." She proposed.

"Cereals, please." Said the kid, sitting on a chair. The vixen prepared a bowl and gave it to her, completed with a glass of orange juice. They both ate in silence, the kit seemed a bit too tired to have a conversation anyway.

"I'm going to have to go to work now. I'll wake Fin up, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask him okay ?"

"Okay." She answered in a sleepy voice. The vixen finished to dress herself and put on her coat, and as she approached the door, she heard the light steps behind her.

She felt a tug on her dress and leaned down to get at the same eye level as the kit.

"I'm coming back this evening, alright ? I promise." She gave the kid a hug, and saw a half asleep Finnick making his way to the kitchen.

" 'Mornin' " He muttered, taking the coffee pot.

She knew that he wouldn't really notice her in that state, and she was about to be running late. "Stay with Fin, it's going to be okay."  
The kid nodded and let her go. Vivenne closed the door behind her and left.

Finnick didn't really know what to make of the kit. Nick had been a hard case, but he was some sort of outgoing, despite what had happened to him. He always found some kind of twisted way to laugh about everything. It was probably just a shell he was using to not let anymammal get close, but it was still feedback.

Hollie was close to mute, and especially since Vivienne wasn't there.

She had done nothing but read since the beginning of the day. He was tempted to take her for a stroll, maybe in a park, but Mrs Andersine had been clear that she needed to take her marks in her new home before being taken to a new environment.

He had gone back to painting, not putting the music too loud, so that he could easily hear her in case she needed anything. The meal at noon had been fairly silent, he had tried to engage conversation a couple of time, but without success. Maybe he was more boring than he thought, maybe she didn't like him... He needed to find a new approach.

"Hey kid, have you ever painted ?"

He had put his head through the door frame and was looking at Hollie, which had lifted her gaze from her book.

"Yeah."

"But have you ever painted wid' dis ?" He took out a spray can. She shook her head, and he was sure he had caught a gleam of interest in her eyes. "Wanna try ?" She nodded. "Then come here." She put down her book and went to the fennec's atelier. He found a blouse he had bought a while ago but never used. He preferred to put on his 'painting clothes' to work. A comfortable paint stained sweater completed with equally adorned pair of sweatpants. He took out a pair of scissors and quickly shortened the blouse to the kid's size. The sleeves didn't have an equal size, but it really didn't matter. He put the scraps of cloth away. "New rags. Okay kid, put this on." He helped her a buttoned up the blouse. He then put away the painting he was working on and replaced it with a large flat cardboard. "Help me put on the undercoat ?" She gave him an interrogative glance and in answer he gave her a white paint spray can. "Depending on what you want to paint, you may want your background to be of a different color." He took his own spray can and pressed the cap, putting the first white stroke on the brown cardboard.

"Try it." She took the can and spray the cardboard. "Now you see, if you're farther, the ring will be larger but the edge will be less precise. If you're closer, you'll make a smaller circle with precise edges. But the paint will probably drip."

The kid nodded and started from the far right while Finnick did his side.

...

"I'm home !" Came Vivienne's voice from the living room.

"Hey love ! We're in my atelier !"

The vixen lifted a brow while putting down her coat. She made the distance that separated her from the room and entered. There was a massive painting, made of several cardboard taped together. In front of it was a pair of fennec covered in paint, both wearing proud smiles.

The artpiece was completely indescribable. At first glance it looked like the city, seen from above, but there were also mammals that she didn't recognize, something that looked like a room. All in all, with the vibrant colors made it look like some sort of trip on acid, and for a few seconds, she wondered if the paint fumes hadn't gone to their heads.

"So, what d'ya think ? She did it all herself." He felt a tug on her arm and the kit shook her head with a smile. "Awright, maybe I helped chosing the colors and worked out a few details."

The vixen leaned down to kiss Hollie's forehead in a spot that hadn't been splattered with paint.

"It's fantastic ! Too bad there isn't any place in the living room for it."

"Hey kid, waddya say, we hang this in your room ? Not to day, but next the day Vi is isn't working ?" The kit nodded enthusiastically. "We'll have to buy a stapler."

The vixen chuckled, looking around the fennec's atelier. He had tarped the floor, but even with that safety measure, there was paint stains on most walls and parts of the floor. "We're not getting back the f- The deposit, are we ?"

"Probably not."

She took down her blouse and lifted up the kit, wondering for as second if she wasn't a bit too forward. But the kit grabbed her shirt with a smile. She headed for the bathroom. "Let's get you cleaned up."

"I'll prepare the dinner in the meantime" Said the fennec, going to clean himself in the kitchen sink.

Finnick was glad for the time he had spent with Hollie. She was still not talking much, but she had been way more lively, and the dinner the three vulpine had together was too. Sure, there still were those awkward moment when she would simply shrug as an answer, but they more and more rare.

It seemed the day had been long for the young vulpine and it wasn't long after dinner when Vivienne brought her to her room. Finnick was finishing to clean his atelier when he stumbled upon something that didn't have anything to do here. Wrapped in a cloth to protect from the paint was Hollie's ragged book. He carefully lifted it but something fell off. He hoped it wasn't one of the pages and took it up.

It wasn't a page, but a photograph. He looked at it, and saw a female fennec, wearing a pink dress, holding a baby in her arms. She looked a bit tired, but had wide smile, the kind that only true happiness could bring out. For a few moments, he wondered what thing could have happened to her, how that happiness could have gone away. Having spent a life full of hardship himself, he didn't have a hard time doing so, but decided to ditch the dark thoughts and bring back the book to its owner.

He waited for his wife to leave the girl's bedroom, to give it back without Vivienne being here. Not that he wanted to hide things from her, but chances were the kid would prefer to keep her private stuff... Private.

"Hollie, you awake ?" He asked, stepping in the room.

"Yeah." She whispered with a voice filled with sleepyness.

He put the book on the headstand. "You forgot that in my atelier." She gave him a strange look, mix of thankfulness and apprehension. "I saw the picture inside."

The kit winced and took the book quickly, pulling it against herself, and checked if the picture was still there.

"Hey, hey. I ain't gonna take it away, okay ?"

She glanced up, he could still see a bit of fear in her eyes.

"It's yo' stuff. I wos just giving it back." He smiled, taking a few steps toward the door before and idea hit him. "Tell you wot. Someday, if ya want, I'll make a nice paintin' of her. Like the one's in the livin' room. Okay ?"

The kit nodded shyly. He approached her again. "C'mere." She put the book away, and though he conceived no ill feelings about it, he could see that she was pushing it away from him. He wrapped her in his arms, hoping she wouldn't pull away. Instead, she pushed herself closer. "Yo' stuff is yo' stuff. I ain't never gonna take it away." He gave her a kiss on the forehead." He put her back in her bed a pulled up the blanket. "Now you gotta sleep kiddo. Have a good night."


	17. Unfinished Business

_**Robert Escher :** Heh, pretty much. _

* * *

_**Chapter 17 :** Unfinished Business_

 _Beginning of January 2020_

It was one of those rare days, during which Nick had nothing much to do. Judy was on duty until late in the night, and it was his resting day. He felt a bit bored. He would have prepared something nice for her return, but he was working the next day and he knew her enough to know that she'd want nothing more after work than a shower and a good night sleep. And maybe a bit of cuddling.

Cuddling was always nice.

He went to the fridge to fix himself a late breakfast while thinking about what to do with his day. He would have gone to see his mother and Finnick, but they had explained to him that the kid needed to first find her footings with the new place and people. Too bad, he was eager to meet his hopefully soon-to-be sister.  
His head in the fridge, he noticed they were getting low on provision. Well, he could still go shopping for food, it would be one less thing to do later. He quickly prepared some eggs and bacon, gulping them and headed out. The walk would clear his head, maybe he'd get an idea of what to do with his time while outside.

Running that errands proved to be fruitful, aside from his bag's content. He had indeed found an idea, or more precisely he was going to do something that he had postponed for too long. Well, they both had. He always felt awkward when Judy's parent called and she purposely avoided the matter. It didn't hurt him that she didn't dare tell her, he knew she was only avoiding confrontation.

He emptied his shopping bag quickly and took out his phone, settling himself on the sofa and launching muzzletime. It was a bit of a gamble, maybe they weren't connected at the moment.

But they were, and he clicked their icon.

"Hello ? Nick ? How are you doing ?" Stu's jovial dirt stained face had appeared on the screen.

"Hey Stu. I'm good, and you ?"

"I'm good. It's been a long time, when are you two coming back to the burrows."

Nick chuckled. "About that, could you please call your wife ?"

"Sure. Bonnie ?"

"Yes dear ?" Came a muffled voice from near him.

"It's Nick ! He wants to talk to us !"

The female bunny quickly appeared at her husband's side. There was few black stains on her face and arms, and she was holding a wrench. "Oh Nick, how are you ?"

"I'm good, hope you are too."

"Of course. What is it you wanted to talk about ?"

Nick cleared his throat. "Well, I know you country lot can be a bit set your ways..." He gave them his most obvious sly grin. Bonnie's brow furrowed, and Stu's smile faltered a bit. The fox hoped Judy wouldn't be too mad he did that without her. "...So I can't really get around that. I've already proposed to her, but I'd also like to formally ask you for your daughter's paw in marriage."

Bonnie's paw immediately shot up to her mouth and Stu's smile widened again. "Did she say yes ?" He asked. His wife gave him an annoyed side glance.

"Yes, she did."

"That's fantastic !" exclaimed the male bunny, while tears started to appear at the corner of his eyes. Suddenly the image shift and Nick could only see cloth. Stu was hugging his wife while Nick could hear him sob. "My little girl is getting married !"

"I take it you're okay with it..." Deduced the fox. The two bunnies' faces reappeared on screen. Bonnie seemed a bit more reserved.

"Honey, is there something wrong ?" Asked Stu.

It was the doe's turn to clear her throat. "I want to be clear, I'm not saying this because you're a fox. You've opened both our eyes on fox's worth. And you're one of the most honest and nice mammal I know."

"Well, miss Hopps, it's quite the-"

"However." She cut him. "I would say that to any male marrying one of my daughters. Do not hurt her." She threateningly hit her paw with the wrench she was still holding. "Understood ?"

He had about a hundred quips ready to answer this, but it deemed it more appropriate to keep them to himself. "Yes ma'am."

"Good." She kissed her husband on the cheek. "Our daughter is getting married."

"Yes, yes she is !"

"Oh, and she doesn't know I asked you for her paw. But feel free to tell her."

"Oh we will. There will be a lot of things to organize. We'll call her right away."

Nick almost stopped them, but he new Judy's days were a bit slow too. He reckoned she could use the distraction. "Then I'll leave you to it. Have a nice day."

"Thanks Nick. You too."

That task done Nick sat back on the sofa. It had been a little more stressful than anticipated, but he had seen Bonnie's bout of protectiveness coming. He looked around the place, still at loss on how to keep himself busy. He chuckled. There was a time when he didn't mind spending a lazy afternoon on a long chair, sipping on a beer. Where had the carefree fox gone ? His time with the bunny truly had changed him. He slumped sideways and rolled, setting an arm under his head. Yes. A lazy day, that's what it was going to be. He deserved it after all, with all the work he was doing. And deserving his rest was actually more satisfactory than he thought. He hopped off the sofa and went to the fridge. He hadn't thought about buying beers, but three still remained. He took one and went back to the sofa, pushing the coffee table against it. He opened a window and the beer bottle, before slumping back on the sofa, his head on a pillow. A lazy day. That was going to do nicely. He found that lazy day would lack one bunny, but hey, the world couldn't always be perfect.

...

The fox was awaken by his phone. More precisely, by a text notification. Had Judy's parent called her already ? He took his phone up and looked at the screen. It was already 4PM. Well, no wonder why he was hungry, despite his late breakfast, he still had skipped a meal.

He looked at the text.

"Could we talk ? - Scarlet."

His heart skipped a beat. After the last time they had seen each other, he had thought they'd never talk again.

"Phone or in person ?" He answered.

"In person. When are you free ?"

Nick bit his lips. Something in him felt a bit bad for Judy, not that he would ever do anything with the vixen, but he knew what feelings the vixen once had for him. But he owed his life to her brother, and he would be here to repay the debt.

"Now. Where do you want to meet ?"

"My place. When will you be here ?"

The fox checked the time again. He'd grab a bite on the way. "4:30. See you soon." And just like that, he left the flat.

He had eaten a hot dog on his way, and arrived a bit earlier than anticipated. He quickly climbed the stairs and ended in front of the vixen's door. Taking slow breaths to calm his nerves, he knocked. The door budged and opened slightly. "Scarlet ?" No answer. The fox felt a bit nervous about entering uninvited but did so nonetheless.

"I'm coming in." He announced, pushing the door open and taking a couple of steps inside. The place was silent, had she gone out and forgotten to lock the door ? He heard a step behind him. "Scarlet ?"

Suddenly, something blurry flew toward his face. He had no time to dodge and bright light invaded his field of view.  
And then he fell into darkness.

...

The first thing he noticed was the pain. A throbbing pound in his head. He did his best to not moan or move, and quickly found out that the latter couldn't be achieved anyway. He was restrained, strapped to an armchair. Probably metallic given the coldness of it.

The second thing he noticed was the smell. Dry blood, rot, mold. And something else, underlying everything else. It smelled like fear. Real fear, the one that comes before despair.

Sound started to come to him. He deduced that he must've had hit very hard, for his sense to only come back one after the other.

"Nick !" It was a female voice. "Nick ! Please wake up !" It wasn't Judy. It was another voice he knew. Scarlet. "Nick !"

He painfully opened his eyes and looked up. His eyes needed a bit of time to adapt to the darkness surrounding them. Facing him, strapped on another chair was a vixen, with a swollen eye and a split lip. Blood had dripped from her mouth, staining her torn shirt.

The place was a warehouse he had never seen before. Despite its decrepit look, and the dust he could see gliding around them, there was no hole in the roof. Six large ceiling lamp were attached to the ceiling.

"Scarlet ?" He tested the ropes, but they were tightly tied, already digging in his flesh.

"Oh, by the gods you're okay !" He could see on her face that she had cried. She was still crying. "I'm so sorry. They were asking question. They asked for you. For

Frank ! If I didn't talk they said were going to... They were..." She looked down at her torn clothes and Nick barely contained a snarl when he understood. Whoever 'they' were, he was going to make them pay.

"That's okay. You have nothing to apologize for. Who are they ? Who did-"

"Nick !" Came a voice from behind him as the light was turned on, blinding him for a few seconds. "Dearest of all my friends !" He instantly recognized the eastern accent.

 _Vlad. Oh shit._

"I am so happy to see you. Please take a seat." The grey wolf placed himself on the side of the two vulpine. "I hope you're comfortable. We have a long discussion ahead of us. Oh, and I brought you a guest." He glanced at the vixen. "Well, two in fact." Nick heard the steps behind him and turned his head. There was a third fox. Dark grey, tall, a bit on the chubby side, wearing a smile that couldn't be described in any other way than creepy.

 _Sean. And Vlad. Why ? Why the hell ?!_

The tall fox was sporting a bunch of new scars on his snout and arms, some of them were still fresh. He was pushing a wheeled metallic tray. On it were knives, pliers, pruning shears, and a blowtorch. Nick felt a cold sweat in his back.

"You know Nick, you played me." The wolf's tone was way too joyous. "You fooled me. I never thought, not even suspected that Frank was you. Or that you were Frank." He approached and put a paw on Nick's shoulder. "Well played. I mean it. It's too bad, really, that it has to end like this. Someone of your talent... I really could have used you."

Nick put his confident mask on. "You actually remember me ? The first time we met ?"

"Do I ?" The wolf slapped him. Hard. He felt his lip split and the taste of blood invaded his mouth. "I remember a scrawny kid. I remember giving him roofies to put on female's drinks. I remember this scrawny kit double-crossing me. I remember this scrawny kit freeing half a dozen of my merchandise." He approached his face to Nick's, their noses almost touching. "I actually connected the dots a few hours ago. But yes, oh yes, I do remember you. I remember all those that make me lose money."

"Glad I made a great first impression." He smiled. Second slap. Harder than the first, but he barely felt it.

"I couldn't believe you actually freed some of my merchandise twice. You made me lose a lot of money, freeing this otter. Otterstein ? Ottersky ? Can't remember."

"Otterton."

"Yes. Right. Otterton. You know, this vixen knows a bit about you." The wolf went to hover behind Scarlet, caressing her neck with his claw. "Her brother, you see, told her about Frank quite a lot. Seemed he liked you a lot. Like a father, or a brother..."

Nick kept the wince hidden. He put on a mask of sorrow. "Doesn't really surprise me that she talked." The wolf stared at him, interested. "She hates me." Maybe if he could convince the wolf that she really didn't like him, he could save her life. He'd need a miracle to save himself now, but she didn't need to die. Repaying his debt to Mike was the best he could hope for in this situation.

The wolf leaned toward the vixen. "Really ? You hate him ?" He caught her chin between his thumb and pointer to make her face him.

She glanced at Nick, who nodded with a serious frown.

"Y-yes. This bastard, he got my brother killed." Despite the fear, she sounded convincing enough. Maybe it was true, or maybe not, but at this point Nick didn't care. What any of them felt wasn't a priority, staying alive was.

"Did he, now ?" The wolf turned back to the fox. "That is not nice Nick. Not nice at all. First you make me lose money, then you get this pretty lady's brother killed." He snapped his fingers and Sean took a pair of plyers from the tray, approaching the fox. Vlad at Scarlet's side, holding her head to look at Nick. "Then, I really hope you will enjoy the spectacle."

Sean grabbed one of Nick's claw with the plyers. The restrained fox slowly exhaled, anticipating the pain. Sean began to pull. Slowly. Very slowly. For a few seconds Nick wondered if the time hadn't slowed down. He could feel every millimeter, every second, every bit of the pain that started radiating from his finger, as the claw was torn from it. He barely contained the scream of pain that was growing in his throat.

"Lovely isn't it ?"

Tears in her eyes, the vixen was about to talk but Nick shook his head, teeth clenched. Jaw trembling, she stayed mute.  
Sean, a smirk plastered on his face, grabbed the second claw and Nick's expectations were dashed. He thought the second claw would be less painful than the first, but it was actually worse. Way worse. The scream of pain filled the warehouse, and he felt tears slowly rising.

"You see my dear, Sean, isn't very proficient in this. He's a bit clumsy. But I've never seen anyone so eager to learn."

"Please." She said between two sobs. Nick shook his head but she couldn't obey.

"What is it my dear ?"

"Please, stop."

"Why ? Don't you hate him ? Didn't he get your brother killed ?"

The vixen swallowed her tears. "He doesn't deserve this ! Please, stop."

The wolf stood up. "Alright. Sean, put down the plyers please."

"Bu-"

"Sean. Plyers."

The fox did what he was ordered with a disappointed sigh. Vlad took a quick few steps toward Nick. "Do you know what is happening here ?"

"You saw that it was all a big misunderstanding and decided to let us go ?"

"Hahhaahaha ! Nick, my boy, you're so funny !" If it was a fake laugh, it was perfectly executed. "No. You see, this is revenge. This is revenge against you for destroying a well oiled plan to bring down Big's family. Did you know that it was what you were doing by freeing that otter ?"

"I must admit, I wasn't."

"I appreciate your honesty."

"Isn't it a bit much though ? A bullet to the head would be way more efficient." Remarked Nick. He heard the vixen gasp.

"Haha ! Yes, true ! Very true ! But it's not only a revenge against you. You see, by now, Big has almost taken down all of my organisation. It's my way to come back at him. I know you're part of his extended family. Two birds with one stone." He turned to the vixen. "Three actually. Mike, her brother, also screwed me over by helping you free that otter. He's dead, so... My only way of revenge against him is this lovely lady." He ran a claw under her chin, which owed him a spit to the face. Nick was impressed that despite the situation they were in, the vixen still retained a bit of combativity. As an answer, he slapped her, almost making the chair tip over. "That wasn't really ladylike." Wiping his face with a cloth, he went back to place himself aside, to have both of the foxes in his field of view.

"And him ?" Asked Nick, pointing at Sean with his chin. He had to play for time. The more they talked, the more they had a chance to be rescued, not that it was likely.

But all remained now was hope. He stared at the chubby fox, hoping for answer. But as always, Sean was his laconic self. Vlad, however, humoured him.

"Sean is a fox with a vengeance. Did you know he actually kidnapped, and tortured, and killed some foxes to find you ? He actually offed one of my mammals. I almost killed him for that. But when I asked, nicely mind you, I am not a barbarian-"

 _Explains the fresh scars. But why is he working with that bastard ?_

"-He told me his story... About Frank, about this 'little traitor' Mike, and his little bout of drug dealing. I connected the dots. Two foxes, a small, a large, my merchandise disappearing. A new fox in town... It was a bit of a leap, but worse case scenario, only two more dead foxes in this city. No offense Sean." The fox shrugged. "I thought it was going to be harder to get you. Of course, my first step was to find and ask Mike's sister. Rumors were that Frank had left the city, but hey, it never hurts to ask. And she knew more than I thought she would. And now, there you are."

Nick turned to Sean. "So this is it ? This is for revenge for you too ?"

"Yeah."

"Bullshit."

Sean lifted a brow.

"Don't try to hide behind revenge. You're a psycho. You love to inflict pain, you love to torture."

"Shut up."

"You simply needed a justification. You pretended to want to help, with Skye, with the group, but all you wanted was an occasion to torture."

"Shut up !"

"That's why they rejected you. They all will. You need help Sean, or else you're going to end up dead in the canal dis-"

"SHUT UP !" The punch Nick received almost made him lose consciousness. He spat blood, while his spinning world slowly slowed down.

The wolf clapped his paws. "Nick ! You sweet talker, you ! You didn't hope to turn him against me, did you ?"

The fox took a few more breathe. "In a sort of roundabout way, yes."

"Your honesty is still appreciated. It almost makes me want to shoot you on the spot and keep you from what's coming next. Almost. So I'll be generous, and instead, I'll put your worries to rest."

"You're way too nice."

"I am, am I not ? You see, I won't kill your lovely lady here. And neither will Sean." He put a paw on his pocket and pulled something Nick instantly recognized. "You will." A Nighthowler pellet gun. "Or she will kill you. I'll shoot the both of you. Whoever wins gets to live." The wolf gave him a sarcastic grin. "Except if it's you. If you kill her, I'll be kind enough to not let you live with it." He turned back to the vixen. "I'm kidding my dear, no one remembers what they do under the Nighthowler's influence."

"Don't think Mr Big is going to let this slide." Interjected Nick.

"Oh, don't worry, by the time they'll find your body, I will be far, very far from this cursed city." He juggled with the gun, making it rotate around his finger. "But before this second little game, there is a first one. For you see, torture is fun. I can never get enough of it. I don't like to participate, way too messy. But I really like to watch. No wonder me and your friend Sean can see eye to eye."

"I'm not in a playing mood."

"Ooooh, Nick, I didn't know a joker could be such a killjoy. But you'll play anyway." He went back to the vixen putting an arm around her shoulders, rolling a finger on her cheek while staring at Nick. "Here are the rules. Sean is going to torture you. And he'll do so for as long as you want. For you see, as soon as you want it to stop, all you have to do is ask him to do it to her instead." A pair of predatory grins spreaded themselves on Vlad's and Sean's faces. "With a pretty lady like her, I'm sure Sean could be very creative."


	18. Pain and Rage

_**Cemsay :** I hope you're starting to see the pattern :)_

 _ **Foxlover91 :** I don't like to leave stuff hanging. Vlad and Sean were two character that had pending business._

 _ **Guest1 :** If your days at home bear any ressemblance to what I write, you may want to talk to as social worker._

 _ **Guest2 :** Glad you like my work._

 _ **Sheesh, four reviews for the same chapter. If drama is what's motivating the reviewers, I may end up killing killing a main character...**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 18 :** Pain And Rage_

 _Beginning of January 2020_

Had Nick ever found himself in a similar situation ? Maybe, but not as dire. There was no escaping this, no sweet-talking his way out. He almost started weeping. He'd never see Judy again, never meet the fennec that could have become his sister. He'd never get to marry the bunny he loved.

The plyers tore another claw, pulling from his thoughts. Not prepared, he screamed so loud he was pretty sure he hurt his lungs. He felt tears of pain rolling down his cheeks. In front of him, the vixen was begging Vlad to stop this.

He couldn't abandon. He had to hold. As long as he did, he would stay alive.

Fourth claw, and his left paw was a bloody painful mess. He didn't dare look down, for fear that the vision would render him insane.

He had to focus, focus on the now. Now was important. The more he endured, the more he could delay what would happen to Scarlet. The more he had chances that rescue would come. But would it ? His bunny wouldn't be back home before late in the night, and he didn't even know what time it was.

Sean approached his right hand and started pulling a first claw. Nick clenched his teeth. He wouldn't give him anything, no scream, no satisfaction. If he couldn't escape, if he couldn't save anyone, he'd at least give his tormentor frustration.

The claw came off and with it, a groan of pain. Each subsequent claw-tear was met with the same level of reaction.

"Nicky, my boy, you're more brave than I thought." Sean had put down the plyers and Nick was glaring at Vlad. "Most mammals-"

Nick felt a sudden sharp pain on his back. Unprepared he gave a yelp.

"Sean !" Scolded the wolf in a fatherly tone. New sharp pain. "Sean, please ! I'm trying to have a conversation here. Alright, last one." Third sharp pain. The fox felt a hot liquid on his back, probably blood. Sean was now holding a bloodied blade.

"So yeah. I'm brave. Is that what you were saying ?"

"Yes Nick. Very. You see, most mammals break before the last claw."

"You organize this kind of event often ?" Groaned the fox.

"Pitting two mammals against each other ? No, it's only the second time. The first was quite nice though, I'm hoping to reproduce the magic this time too. When I say 'break' I meant 'start talking' but you have no information of interest to me." Nick heard a metallic sound. Sean had taken the blowtorch and shears from the tray. "The moment mammals really start talking is usually the one when my mammal starts to inflicts permanent damage. Like taking body parts. Before that it's just bits and pieces of information."

Nick gulped. He was pretty certain it would also be the point where he would break. He saw Sean put the shears around his pinky and prepared to exhale to ease the pain. Once again, the psychotic fox took his time and the feeling of the bone cracking between the metal fangs pulled a scream of pain and fear from Nick's throat. The blood was quickly flowing and Sean lighted on the blowtorch and cauterized the stump on the spot. New scream.

"He won't pull out all your finger. Maybe two on each paws. You'll need them to fight later. Maybe he'll take an eye too. You wouldn't believe how many mammals can't bear the thought of turning blind."

Sean approached the plyers again but he was careless, and let his arm at Nick's mouth's reach. His head flew forward and he bit the larger fox as hard a he could. The way they were place, Sean couldn't easily punch him to make him let go and he started screaming in pain. A new taste of blood invaded Nick's mouth, and though the idea of Sean's blood on his tongue was disgusting, the scream that resulted was very satisfactory.  
Vlad pulled his gun and put it on Nick's forehead.

"Let him go."

A defiant glare was his answer, and Nick bit even harder. Vlad took a few step and placed the gun on Scarlet's head. "Let. Him. Go." He cocked the hammer back. Nick let go. Sean punched him and the chair tipped over. The chubby fox leaped at him, ready to beat him again. "Sean ! No ! Put him back up !" The dark grey fox groaned but did what he was ordered. "You can't very well be mad at him, you're torturing him after all. You should have been more careful." Vlad approached Sean to look at his arm. "That's quite the bite, nice work Nick. Sean, go and have yourself patched up. I think we all need a little recess." The chubby fox's step resonated in the large room as he left.

Vlad was making the gun rotate around his finger. "Still combative. I can't believe this scrawny kid turned into you. You're quite the hero."

Nick smirked, despite the pain that was radiating from his left paw. "You gotta do what you gotta do. Sure you don't want to let us go ? I think I've been punished enough." He was beyond terrified, but refused to let the mask fall, refused to give the wolf any satisfaction.

"No Nick, not nearly enough. And it's not a question of punishing anyway. It's me sending a-"

Nick heard the door open again. Sean had been quick to get himself patched up.

* * *

Judy was bored. The day was slow, way too slow. Sitting in the car, they were driving around to look out for any disturbance. Suddenly, her phone rang. She glanced at Buster. "Mind if I take that call ?"

"You're the boss, boss. I won't tell on you." He smiled.

He had taken the habit of calling her boss. It had annoyed her a bit at first, but it was the rat's way to recognize her rank. Every officer had their quirks, this was pretty harmless as far as quirks went.

She looked at her phone, it was her father. "Hello ?" She answered.

"Hello sweetheart." Came her father's jovial voice.

"Hello dear." Her mother's voice was a bit more serious. "You hid things from us." Definitely serious.

"Huh ? Of course not." But the first thing that sprang to mind was the marriage proposal she had hidden from them for a few months. She really, really hoped it wasn't about that. She wasn't ready to have that discussion.

"Nick called, he just asked us for your paw."

Judy's eyes opened wide. "He did what ?"

"He asked us for your paw. He said he already proposed you. You're getting married !" Stu's voice was ecstatic. "We need to decide for a date, and to start organizing things !"

Judy scratched her eyes. She would have preferred to announce that to them in her own time. Hell, she had almost considered having a first secret wedding before coming out to them and have a second all out bunny wedding. Well, the fox had done it. At least now, they knew.

"When were you going to tell it to us ?" Asked Bonnie.

"Well... Soon ?" She lied.

"You still think we wouldn't approve." Her mother stated.

"Yeah. Sorry."

"Don't apologize, we weren't the most supportive parents... At least I wasn't. I'm glad you found someone like him. Now we need to talk about the-"

"Mom, Dad, sorry to cut this short, but I'm on duty." She cut apologetically. The only thing she dreaded more than announcing Nick's proposal, was the wedding preparations.

"Oh. Of course. Sorry dear, we'll call you back in the evening."

"Maybe tomorrow, I'm working until late." She could still have had that conversation with them that evening, but there was a fox that needed to have an earful first.

"Talk to you tomorrow then." Smiled her father.

"Bye."

"Bye girl. Love you." And they hung up.

She heard a snicker coming from next to her. "I thought you were bored."

"You were listening, were you ?"

"Hard not to. I guess that your wedding plan isn't something you look forward to do."

"Absolutely not." She sighed. "I wish I could just be married and get on with it. Bunnies traditions are no fun. Enormous parties, unending number of guests..."

"Rat's weddings are kind of a chore too. Good thing we're not too into it in the city." He said in a conversational tone. Judy lifted a brow.

"How are rat's weddings ?"

"Well... Country rats, or field rats are they were named. They have pretty much the same type of weddings than the bunnies." Judy looked at him surprised. Most mammals didn't know about other mammal groups habits. "I've studied sociology before... Before turning to police work." He had hesitated on his sentence. She knew there had been something between sociology and police work, but she decided not to pry. The rat reminded her a bit of Nick in a way. "Anyway, country rats have large weddings. City rats... Not so much. It's more like a string of parties that link social events to one another. Being weddings, births or funerals. If you were wondering why most rats have the reputation to be lazy, it's probably because we're a bit tired of all the social events we attend."

"That's the first time I hear about it." She admitted.

"It's not really known. And we're a discreet kind."

...

The rest of the day too was uneventful. The high point was when Judy had to climb a tree to get ball back for a couple of kids. At least, she got to do something physical, and not something that needed a report.

It was around 6PM when the two officers decided to grab a bite. Sitting on a terrace, they were enjoying their sandwiches when a car stopped in a tire screech near them. It must have gone pretty fast, and so the two officers approached it warily. As Judy was about to take out her badge, the passenger door flew open.

"Hopps, Buster, get in. Now."

"Jack ?"

"Who's J-"

"Nick might be in danger. He's not at your place. He's not answering his phone."

The doe didn't need to hear more and lept inside, followed closely by Buster who took the backseat. Jack launched the car at definitely unauthorised speed down the street.

"What's happening ?"

"Don't know yet. A contact just gave me the intel and location."

"And why not alert the ZPD ?"

"Reasons. Mainly, I'm not sure about this info."

"Where are we going ?"

"Tundratown, the docks. Don't call it in yet."

Only a few minutes separated them from their objectives. "Judy, who's that guy ?"

She glanced at the agents which nodded. "Jack. His name is Jack. He's ZIA."

"What ? And he says Nick's in danger ?"

"He might be."

They arrived at an industrial zone and the male bunny stopped the car behind a large building. He headed out, followed by the two officers and entered it. It was an old decrepit place, rust was eating at the beams, and mold had settled in most corners. The dust almost made them scoff. Jack took out his gun, imitated by Judy and Buster.

Going up some stairs, they arrived in a large room. One of the wall had collapsed and let them see outside. A large slumped silhouette could be seen. It moved slightly.

"K ?"

"Get down and come here." Came a deep and low voice. The three newcomers followed the order and arrived near the silhouette. It was a polar bear wearing a blue tracksuit holding a pair of binoculars.

"Koslov ? Is that you ?" Asked Judy.

"Yes, that's me. Jack, I did recon. We may not need back up."

"You work with the ZIA ?" she asked, aghast.

"I work for Mr Big. Period." The tone was almost threatening, and for the second time that day, she decided not to pry. The shrew truly seemed to have a lot of connections.

"What do you have K ?" Asked the agent.

"Two mammals, most likely foxes. They've been inside for at least one hour before I came here. This one of Vlad's 'places'. He intends to leave the city soon. From what

I've gathered, he's tying up loose ends." He gave the binoculars to Jack. They were so large than both him and Judy could use them at the same time.

"Places ?" She asked.

"The ones he uses to... Interrogate people."

Judy's heart skipped a beat. Whoever was inside, they needed help, and soon.

"Two wolves in front. Anyone in the back ?" Asked Jack.

"No. He's getting sloppy."

"Good. Anything else ?"

"No."

"Then let's go."

The four of them crawled back and went outside. Judy started to head for the other building but was stopped by Jack.

"No. You're both staying there until I give you my go. If they see cops, they'll alert Vlad immediately, and Nick, if it's truly him, will be as good as dead."

The bunny sighed and stayed hidden. Buster placed himself near her, and they watched the bear and bunny casually approach the two guards.

"You know this Koslov ?"

"Somewhat." She said, quizzical. It wasn't anything official, and though she knew the chief had knowledge of her connection to Big's family, her colleagues didn't need to.

"And he's really working for Mr Big ?"

"Yup."

"And do- What are they doing ?"

The bear and bunny had started a conversation with the wolves. At first the guard seemed wary, but they seemed to slowly relax. She saw Jack casually step to their side. A split-second later, his feet connected with one of the guard's snout, and Koslov fist had broken a few fangs from the other. Jack waved at them while the bear dragged the unconscious wolf to the side of the building.

"Well, that's that." Remarked the rat.

The male bunny started explaining his plan "Alright, we're going in. There are two foxes inside, but we couldn't get any names. You two, stay in fron-"

Judy cut Jack.

"No. Me and Buster are going in. Koslov has no official authority. He's staying outside, waiting for the ZPD."

"Hopps, it's no-"

"Jack, I know you think it's for the best, but we can do a job as good as your friend here-"

"We're not friend." Remarked Koslov with a serious tone.

"Whatever. We need to do this by the books."

They stared down for a few seconds before the agent caved in. "Alright. You stay behind me, and you do as I say."

"Got it. Let me just call for reinforcement." She took out her radio. "Precinct one, 19-79 talking, we're investigating a probable 207 in Tundratown, Industrial zone, number..."

Buster had taken out his phone, anticipating that she didn't know the complete address. "98, Ramdock street."

"...98, Ramdock street."

"Copy 19-79." Came Clawhauser's voice. "You're out of your patrolling zone."

"I know. We need back up. Given the size of the place, at least two units."

"Okay. Stand by, Hopps, I'm send-"

"Negative, we're going in. Reinforcement will have to catch up."

"Alright, I'll speed them up."

She put back her radio on her belt and took out her tranq-gun. "Let's do this."

Jack opened the door and started to walk silently through the short hallway, gun in hand, closely followed by the doe and rat. They didn't know the layout of the place, but usually, the door at the other end would open on the main room. There were two other path on the right and left. As they were closing in on them, a large chubby fox, sporting a bandage on his right arm came out. He saw them from the corner of his eyes and immediately stepped back, starting to run.

"I got this. Find the foxes." Said Jack, bolting after him. Luckily, the fox didn't think to scream to alert his potential allies.

Judy and Buster arrived near the door. No way to take a peek inside. Judy stuck her ear against it.

"...nearly enou... a question... sending a-"

They opened it as silently as they could, but it creaked anyway.

The doe was the first to enter. With the lack of light, she couldn't discern the details, but there were three mammals. One grey wolf, with a gun in his paw, and two others. Two foxes, tied to chairs, facing each other. One of them was showing his back to the newcomers and they couldn't see his face, so Judy only recognized a beaten up Scarlet on the other chair. She could guess who the other was, though.

"ZPD, put your gun down." Said the bunny, while Buster closed the door behind them, to block the noise they risked to make. Just as he finished, they heard a couple of muffled gunfires behind it, it was just enough so that the two officers lost their focus for a split-second, and for the wolf to place himself safely behind, or rather in front of Nick.

Judy and Buster started moving toward the wolf, the doe's heart beating faster and faster as she noticed the state her fox was in.

"The gun. Down. Now !" She repeated.

"Oh, no, no, no." Said the wolf, cocking back the hammer of his revolver. "You're the ones that will put their guns down. Or your friend Nick gets it."

Judy hesitated. The wolf pushed his gun against the fox's head. "Gun's down, please."

"Judy, don't-" He was instantly smacked by Vlad's free paw.

"Last warning miss Hopps."

She put the tranq-gun away and slowly put it down. Buster imitated her. Just as her gun touched the floor, Nick's face flew forward and bit the wolf's paw.  
He gave a scream of pain and saw a grey lightning bolt head toward his face. He only had the time to sidestep, but because of Nick's fangs, he had to let go of his gun in the process.

Buster took the opportunity to rush to Nick and started to free him. Given that Judy was taking the wolf in paw to paw combat, trying to shoot him would be dangerous for her, and trying to help her would only hinder her.

"Watch this Buster." Came Nick's hoarse voice. "It's going to be fantastic."

Judy had missed her first kick, but not by much. She had grabbed the wolf's paw and made him spin, taking him away from the tied up foxes. She tried a second kick, but he blocked it, though more out of sheer luck than real practice. She had read Vlad's file a couple of times during Nick's undercover mission. He had a fighting experience but only on the street pits, nothing remarkable. She tripped him and he stumbled back but didn't fall, jumping up, she purposely missed a kick again. She needed to get him away from his gun to fight him more safely. The wolf tried a clumsy swipe that she dodged by leaping over it. As she was in the air, he tried a second swipe with the left paw, but she had anticipated the attack. She grabbed his paw, spun around it, and broke one of his fingers.

"Argh ! You bitch."

Anger was good. Anger clouded judgment. And she wanted to make him hurt. She landed safely and he tried to kick her. She used his leg as a springboard, propelling her toward his face, her strong legs hitting his snout full force. She felt a couple of fangs crack and his lips split. He fell backward and stopped moving.  
Buster had already seen her fight, but never all out and in real conditions. It was nothing short of impressive. Given that he had looked at Judy's performance, he hadn't finished untying Nick. "Everything okay back there ?" She had turned her head toward her audience while taking out the ziplocks from her pocket.

"Judy, look out !" Both Buster's, Nick's and Scarlet's voice resonated in the warehouse.

The wolf was taking out what looked like a gun. Buster took out his own, and so did the bunny, unloading three bullets each in the wolf's body. But not before he could use the almost silent weapon of his own. He seemed to have missed though, because no mammal other than him fell.

"That was close." Remarked Buster as he put back his weapon in his holster. Judy was about to check the wolf's pulse when she turned toward them, scratching her neck. She took it out and looked at it. Her eyes widened. Blue. Her paw was blue.  
Nick was staring at her, and saw it at the same time she did. "Buster. Cut me out."

"Don't worry bud-"

"Buster. Move your fucking ass."

The rat heard a scoffing noise. He saw Judy fall down on her knees, all her body trembling. He was about to go to her when Nick's voice stopped him. "It's Nighthowler ! You need to free me ! Now !"

Without giving a second thought, he did. Judy was trying to crawl away, realizing what was happening. She didn't want to hurt them, but she felt it inside. The rage. The hate. The will to destroy. Her mind went blank. Nick saw it. He saw her bunny leave her own body, replaced by a killing machine. A highly efficient, faster than lightning, killing machine. If they were to stay alive, he'd have to think really fast. Buster and Judy had left they tranq gun behind. The bunny's eyes were going from Nick to Scarlet and to Buster. The first to move would be the first one to face her.

"The both of you, do not move, do not make a sound." Whispered Nick, still sitting on the chair. The bunny's ear instantly shot up, it seemed she had caught the sound of the fox's voice. The safest way would be for Buster to take out his gun while the fox would occupy her, but he refused that possibility. She wouldn't be shot again. Not on his watch.

Nick leaped aside, anticipating the bunny's attack. It came so fast that he had barely the time to dodge. She rolled on the floor and prepared to attack again. The fox recognized the posture. It was a fighting stance. She was savage, but she still retained a bit of her fighting kills. Even with the training she had given him, there was no way in hell he could win paw to paw. She bolted again toward him and he received her with a hook and a sidestep.

Surprisingly, the fist connected, his clawless fingers sending spikes of pain in his arm. She could attack, but she barely defended. He tried an attack, but she dodged it. She attacked him and he punched again. His fist connected to her shoulder and her paw hit his torso. Since his punch had deviated her, it didn't hurt much, but he was still sent backwards. She dodged, but only when she wasn't trying to attack. Her drug filled brain didn't seem able to process every action at the same time. It gave him part of an idea. "Buster, shoot down the lights."

He heard a first shot, a light was taken out and Nick saw the bunny wince. Her heightened senses seemed to hate the loud noise. She immediately turned toward the rat but as she had changed focus, Nick slapped her. He gritted his teeth, and hoped he'd never have to do that again. She turned back to him and tried to bite, but he took away his bloodied paw just in time.

He had to block away the pain in his paws, and execute his plan. He had to be faster than her. Faster than Judy, and her savage mind fired up by the nighthowler.  
"Judy, snap out of it !" He tried, barely avoiding another attack. But it was a lost cause. There was no power of love, no fighting back. The nighthowler was a chemical, a thing the mind couldn't win against.

He took a few side steps toward his goal. The bunny lept toward his face and a gunfire was heard, a second light turning off. Twisting in the air, the bunny completely missed her attack. She rolled an lept again. Third shot, third body twist, third light disappearing. Buster was timing his shot on purpose to hinder the bunny. She tried to bolt at him but

Nick's arm appeared in her way. She immediately bit it. He felt the bunny's jaw close on his muscle. The pain was indescribable, almost worse than getting his finger cut out. He made an ample movement that made her fly in the opposite direction, a chunk of his flesh coming off with her. He screamed in pain and heard a fourth shot. There were only two lights left. The tears were pouring, from pain, from exhaustion, from his torn feelings. He had to fight the one mammal he loved the most.  
He took another few steps toward his goal, and saw the bunny attack him. She was quicker, but somewhat clumsier. He had to block three leg attacks and a punch. Close to him, he tried to hold her but she put her paws against his torso and kicked. Hard. It sent them both flying backwards.

Nick rolled and fell next to what he was trying to reach. Judy's tranq gun. He took it and aimed. She easily dodged the bolt, like she could see them move. At this point, the fox wouldn't be surprised if she truly could. She was dodging right and left, and Nick had used two darts already. Only two remained. She lept at him, her little claws out, her teeth bared. Two detonations were heard and the two last lights came out. She twisted. They were now in the dark. Nick missed his third shot as the bunny collided with him. Only one dart remained. He was feeling drowsy, and he knew he wouldn't be able to line the last shot. He couldn't risk to miss. Taking the syringe out of the gun, he grabbed it like a knife. His vision was quickly adapting to the darkness. She was a few steps from him, her ears shooting left and right, trying to catch any sound. He took a slow deep breath. He couldn't make a step toward her, she would hear it and immediately attack. He needed to lure her toward him to be ready to prickle her with the needle. And so he decided to do something stupid, but highly effective. He leaned down, putting his paws in a fighting position.

"I'm here, love."

Her ears turned toward him instantly, quickly followed by her whole body. She pounced at him, and though he was ready, he couldn't anticipate her speed. She hit him on the chest and sank her teeth near her neck with a growl. He put the syringe in her back. It seemed she barely felt it. As her body went limp, he saw her expression relax. He took her in his arms fell on his back. "You're alright sweetheart." He got up slowly and stumbled back to Buster. "You can turn on your flashlight now."

The rat did so and untied the vixen. "Can you walk miss ?"

"I- I think." She got up and had to hold the chair for a few seconds before her legs stopped trembling. "Are you okay Nick ?"

"Never better."

Buster took a few step toward Vlad's body and checked his pulse. "Dead."

"Good." Came the vixen's answer. Nick found himself thinking the same thing.

The rat had gone and retrieved both of Judy's weapon. He put her tranq gun in his holster and swapped her gun to the tranq gun Nick was holding. "We're going out. The both of you, stay behind me."

"Want me to take her ?" Asked Scarlet to Nick.

"No." He realized his tone had been a bit harsh. He was only standing by sheer will and adrenaline. "But thanks for asking." He added in a nicer tone. As they headed for the door, led by Buster, Nick realized his legs could barely hold him up. He would be able to make it to the building's exit, probably, but not farther. Just as he was hoping help would arrive soon, the doors flew open and a ZPD team of four erupted from it.

"ZPD, put your guns down !" Every gun were immediately pointed to the gun carrying fox. "Fox, put the bunny down !"

Buster immediately flashed out his badge. "I'm ZPD. Officer Buster. This is officer Wilde and he's carrying officer Hopps. Everyone calm down." The scene froze.

"Officers, stand down." Came a voice from the center of the group. The commanding officer, a ram, gave glances to two of his officers. "We need paramedics here. Cavid, Burrowsky, go and bring them here, on the double. Go ! Go ! Go!"

Two officers detached from the group and ran away to the building's exit. The two remaining stared at Nick, their mouth slowly falling agape as they realized the state he was in.

"Hey don't worry guys, it's only my blood." Quipped the fox, as he was taking a step forward, and realizing it was a step too much, since the world started collapsing around him.


	19. After the Nightmare

_**x29ohat :** Technically, you can't put back on claws more than you can put back on nails. They'll regrow, if that's what you're wondering._

 _ **Foxlover91 :** I'm a sucker for good endings, so I probably won't kill any major character. You can rest easy. _

_I've started publishing this story on AO3. I'll now upload a chapter a day._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 19 :** After the Nightmare_

 _Beginning of January 2019_

Her body ached, like she had used all her muscles far intensely than their were supposed to. She tried to stretch but her arms wouldn't move, and she realized she was strapped to her bed.

"Oh, girl, yo' awake." Came a voice she immediately recognized. She blinked a few times and turned her head to see Finnick, sitting next to her bed, smartphone in hand. He reached for the call button and pressed it.

"Hey Fin- Oww." Instantly, as the sound of her own voice resonated in her head, a pulsing pain appeared in it.

"Head hurtin' ?'

"Yeah."

"The doctor said it could happen."

"Where am I ?"

"Downtown Central hospital. You were transferred less than an hour ago, on demand of doctor... Pro-something."

"Procyon ?"

"That's the one."

Her eyes suddenly widened. "Nick ! Where is he ?"

"Alright but unconscious. Ya'll get to see him as soon as the doc-"

The door opened and the raccoon doctor appeared. "Miss Hopps. I hoped I'd never have to see you again." He smiled.

"The wish of all doctors." Finnick remarked.

The doctor took out his lamp and quickly observed the bunny's pupils. "You seem to be fine. I'll untie you." He did so and the bunny could finally stretch her aching muscles. "I've taken the liberty to have your leg x-rayed. Mammals under the influence of the Nighthowler tend to over-exert themselves. Your knee is perfectly fine except..."

"Except ?"

"As I feared, in a couple of decades, you will want to avoid Canal and Rainforest district at all costs."

It was one of the things he had warned her about. Damp weather would make her knee ached for sure in the later years.

"Figures... How long was I out ?"

"Four hours. The paramedics had to sedate you again, but the serum didn't take too long to take effect. Good thing it was the original recipe, otherwise it could have had some repercussions. By the way, you're staying in our care at least 24 hours more, for observation."

He saw that the bunny was slightly bouncy, in a haste to get out of the room. "Your fox is in room 308, three doors down to the left." He helped her get down from the bed. She felt a bit weak and almost stumbled. "I'll bring a wheelchair."

"I'd rather avoid that." The time she had spent in that awful contraption wasn't the dearest memory. She'd rather crawl than get back into one. "Fin, can you..."

"Shure girl." He approached and she put a paw on his shoulder, slowly making her way out.

It was a good thing Nick room was near, because she wasn't sure her legs would let her walk farther. She knocked and pushed the door.  
Nick was laying unconscious on the bed, his paws wrapped in bandages. Around the bed were sitting two vixens, Scarlet and Vivienne. The younger one was sitting to the side. On a chair was also a little fennec girl, Judy supposed it was Hollie, the foster kid the couple had taken in.

"Hi." Greeted the bunny.

Vivienne turned to the bunny, rushing to her and immediately hugging her. "Oh I'm so glad you're alright."

"Thanks Vi. How is he ?"

"The doctors say he's okay but he hasn't woken up yet. He first had to replenish part of his blood reserves. They say he needs his rest."

"Vi ?"

"I'm crushing you." She loosened her embrace a bit. "Sorry. Oh where are my manners !" She let go of the bunny and leaded her to Hollie. "Judy, meet Hollie. Hollie, this is Judy."

"Hello Hollie."

"Hi." Greeted the little fennec shyly.

"How are you ?"

"Fine." She seemed to hesitate to talk, but Judy nodded supportively. "Is it true you went savage ?"

The bunny's mouth fell slightly agape and she glanced at the two vulpines who were sporting similar expression. "She's taking after you two already… Yes. I did. I'm better now."

"Oh. Good."

A slightly awkward silence fell, which the bunny escaped by going to her fox's side. Looking at him, he seemed to sleep peacefully. His breaths were slow, and his expression static. Detailing him, she couldn't do anything but wince. His face was covered with bruises from the beating, and she noticed he missed a finger on his left paw.

"They couldn't reattach it." Announced the doctor who had placed himself at her side. "Cauterization destroyed tendons and melted the bone."

"My leg could be reattached though…"

"The cut was relatively clean. And a knee is a very simple thing in comparison to a paw. Replacing a metacarpus is feasible in theory, but with even less chance of success than for your knee. The claws will grow back though. But it will itch. A lot. I'm more concerned about his mental state." The raccoon had taken the file attached to the bed. "What happened to him... No mammal can get out of it unscathed." He looked at his watch. "I have other patients to attend to. Ring a nurse as soon as he wakes up." And he left the room, leaving the mammals alone.

Judy caressed Nick's face, and swallowed back the tears. How many times would her fox get hurt ? If only she could have arrived sooner. She glanced at the vixen sitting in a corner and sighed.

"I need some air. Scarlet, could you help me walk ?" The vixen was a bit surprised by that demand, but she helped the bunny out of the room. "I'll be back soon. Watch over him in the meantime, will you ?"

"Shure girl. We ain't lettin' him leave the room."

"Thanks."

Though Scarlet was helping her walk, Judy was leading. Having spent a bit of time in that hospital for her reeducation, she easily found the inner courtyard and sat on a bench. Scarlet sat at her side, a bit removed.

"You had feeling for him, didn't you ?"

The vixen chuckled. Of course, it would be about that.

"Yes. I did."

"You still do ?"

"No. Not really, after all that happened, after Mike's..." She swallowed hard, fighting back the tears. "I hated him. He took my brother away, just as I had gotten him back !"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I was unfair. I was angry." She rubbed her eyes. "You know what's funny ? While I was on that chair, while Nick was holding for my sake... I finally realised it wasn't his fault. It was Mike's decision to go with him. Nick wasn't responsible for my brother's decision, nor was he for the bullet that killed him. It only took for him be tortured for me to realise it."

"Wait, dial it back. For your sake ? Could you explain what happened to you from the beginning ?"

The vixen had a sigh. She really didn't want to go back to that place, but the bunny deserved to know. "I can't go in detail. I just... Can't go back there. Your colleague, officer Buster, already took my statement."

"Say what you can. Please ?"

"Those guys, Vlad and Sean, they went to my apartment. They hit me, and threatened to…" She put her arms around her shoulder with a shudder. "They wanted to know where Frank was. I tried to convince them I didn't know anything, and I let slip something. I don't remember what, but from that wolf deduced... Well, he knew who Frank was. Next he took my phone and texted him. Then, they drugged me and I woke up facing Nick on his chair." It seemed she had a harder and harder time getting the word out. "He posed it as a game. Sean would torture Nick and all he had to do for it to stop was to ask for me to be tortured instead."

"Sweet cheese and crackers !"

"I don't know how he held... I just don't."

The bunny put a supportive paw on the vixen's shoulder, but the vulpine didn't give in to the tears.

"You know, when Nick told me about you, I was a bit mad." Started the bunny to switch topic.

"Really ?"

"Yeah. He was spending time away from me a knowing a vixen was... Hovering around him, I got a bit territorial."

"You really had nothing to fear. I think there was absolutely no way he could have cheated on you. He's quite the gentlemammal."

"I know."

"It's a big loss for the vulpine population." She said with a little smile.

"I'm not giving him back." Smiled the bunny.

They were about to head back when she saw buster arrive in the courtyard. He waved at her and approached. "Glad to see you're up, partner." He gave a side glance to the vixen. "You seem to be doing better too, miss."

"Yes. Thank you." She blinked a few times. "I mean really, thank you, the both of you. You saved us, and I didn't properly thank you for it."

"We were just doing our job, miss." Answered the rat in a professional tone. He could seem really laid back around his colleagues, but as soon as a civilian was involved, he immediately switched to 'officer mode'.

"Well thank you for doing your job." She marked a pause. "You seem to want to speak with Judy more privately, I'll go check on Nick." And she left without waiting for them to say good bye.

"You wanted to talk about something ?"

"Those guys, Koslov, Jack, Vlad, what's their deal ?"

"What do you mean ?" She was surprised he'd put Vlad in the same bunch, though it made sense in a sort of twisted way.

"Well, Jack is ZIA, so I suppose that whatever you know, you can't really tell me." Judy nodded. "But Koslov, he's clearly from the mob. There are rumors around the precinct that you and Nick have a link with Big's family, but I didn't know how much."

"I'm... The godmother of his grandchildren." He lifted a finger but she kept talking before he could utter a word. "He helped me on the Nighthowler case and that's all

I'll say on the matter."

"Alright. No more questions about him. And Vlad ?"

"I don't know him."

"He was torturing you boyfriend and that vixen. They are linked one way or another. You don't have to tell me about it, but I'm curious. And slightly involved. I'd like to make sense of what happened at that warehouse."

Judy sighed. It wasn't a story for her to tell, then again, he had helped save Nick, he was slightly involved. And she believed she could trust him. She looked around to make sure no one was listening. "Whatever I'm about to say, you're not to repeat it to anyone. Not our colleagues, not anyone, ever."

"I promise."

"You remember Lycus case ? That Bellwether was shot down by an unidentified mammal, probably a grey fox named Frank ?"

"Yeah ? What of it ?"

"It was Nick. Undercover. The coma story was made up."

"That... Actually explains a lot. And that vixen's brother was killed in the process ?"

"You talked to her ?"

"Yeah, when I took her statement. But she never told me about Nick's real implication. It was a bit of a bundled mess since she wouldn't tell me in which circumstances her brother died. I knew she was hiding stuff. Don't worry, I preferred to left all that off the record until I spoke to you. And it seems it will remain that way."  
The bunny sighed. There was so little the public knew about that case compared to what had remained hidden, and it had to stay that way, both for the citizen's peace of mind and for the implicated mammal's safety. "By the way, did you get a hold of Jack after he chased that fox ?"

"No, and no one did. He's made quite an impressive work, though a bit... Strange."

"What do you mean ?"

"Forensic is still examining the crime scene. It seems there was a firefight between Vlad's henchmammals and that they killed eachother. I'm pretty sure my report will be redacted to fit with their report."

"And Sean ?"

"They found him with his brain blown off. The gun used was the one found in his paw. No traces of agent Savage."

"That's... Disturbing. And what about Koslov ?"

"Did you know that guy had an official weapon carrying permit ? The Tundratown officers let him go after he gave his statement. Nothing out of the ordinary, he saw Vlad's men carry a pair of fox in a warehouse and contacted the ZPD. Well you, specifically. No mention of Jack either."  
Judy didn't know how that would make sense, but if Jack believed no mention of him needed to be made, it was probably for the best. Very few knew of Koslov's past, and maybe current, implication with the ZIA. Very few also knew that Jack was ZIA, it was necessary for him to be able to work. "Everyone's safe now. I think it's what matters."

"That's true. I'll get back to the precinct, I still have a mountain of paperwork to fill in. See you soon partner."

"Wait, could you help me get back to Nick's room ?"

"Sure."

She could walk better now, but she still felt feeble. He brought her to the door and made a step back. "Don't want to come in ?"

"Not really big on tearful thankings. I'll let you have my share."

"Alright, see you soon."

"Bye." He put his paws in his pockets and went away. Judy knocked on the door and entered. In a corner of the room, Vivienne and Scarlet were chatting silently. Finnick was showing stuff on his phone to Hollie. And Nick still remained unconscious. "Hey, yo' back." He said, lifting his gaze from his phone.

"Yep. Did he move ?"

"Nope. He still sleepin' like a log. Understandable. Scarlet told us wot happened."

The bunny smiled and went to sit on her fox's bed. She hesitated to take his paw, not wanting to risk hurting him more than he already was.

...

She had gotten to have her room switched and to share Nick's. She knew he'd be happy to have her near him when he would wake up, and she was feeling more comfortable that way. The sun was slowly falling on the horizon, Vivienne and Finnick had to leave with Hollie. The bunny promised she would call them as soon as Nick would wake up. Scarlet ended up going back to her own room for the night, and Judy was left alone with her fox. Part of her wanted to go and share his bed, but she doubted it could help in any way, so she went to sleep on her own bed.

She woke up with the sun, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes. She looked at the time, it was pretty early. It was then that she realized she hadn't called her parents. She hoped the news hadn't gotten a hold of the story yet, otherwise, she was sure to receive a panicked call. She took out her phone and went to check some news site. There already was a story about two foxes abducted and freed by the ZPD, but no names appeared, not hers nor his. She sighed in relief, it bought her a bit of time. She went and sat next to Nick on his bed, caressing the fur of his arm.

"I wish I had gotten to you sooner." She felt something strange under her paw, like his muscles had slightly tensed up. "Nick ? Can you hear me ?" She ran her fingers on his face. "Nick ?" His paw shot up, grabbing her arm and pushing it away. "Nick, it's me."

His eyes were looking around the room, trying to comprehend where he was, when they fell on his bunny's face. They grew slightly wider. "Judy ?"

"Ni-"

He let go of her arm and pulled her in an embrace. She felt him slump slightly and his face went to place itself against her chest. "It's not a dream."

"No it's not a dream. I'm really here." She felt her hospital gown get damp, and soon she could here him sob. "I'm here. You're safe."

She stroke his head for a long time before he calmed down. She had never seen him in such a state. "I thought I'd never see you again. And when you went savage, I..."

"I'm sorry. I should have been more careful."

The fox looked up. "Don't apologize." He wiped his eyes. "You saved my life."

She pulled closer and kissed him. "That's what I do."

Nick became suddenly aware of the state of his paws and the pain arose. Judy felt him loosen his arms around her. "Sorry, paws' pain." He took the call button and tried to push it but the slightest pression of the tip of his fingers was unbearable. "Fluff, could you …?"

"Sure." She pushed the button and they both waited for a nurse to arrive.

A scrubs' wearing yak entered the room. "Oh, I see you're up mister Wilde. I'll have the doctor come and examine you as soon as he arrives. Do you need something in the meantime ?"

"Paws hurt like hell. And I'm really hungry."

"Anemy will do that to you. I'll get you a painkiller and bring you some food." The yak left the room, leaving the two mammals alone.

"You thought you were dreaming ?" Asked the bunny out of the blue.

"Yeah."

"Want to talk about it ?"

He didn't, but he decided to take a page from Blackfur's advice book and do so anyway. "It were more like nightmares. Several of them. The less tough were those where I was tortured again. There was one where you went savage and t-took.." He grabbed his gown with his right paw, suddenly having difficulties to breath.

"Don't push yourself."

"…Took Sean's place, with the p-plyers. Oh gods..."

"Shhh, I'm here. I'd never hurt you."

"I know. It's when I realized I was d-dreaming. It's the one that actually woke me up. It's why I grabbed you like I did. I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"You didn't." She kissed his forehead. "Were they all like this ?"

"Pretty much. The worst one was..." He took a deep breath, pressing his eyes shut, bracing against the images he was summoning in his mind. "You were in Scarlet's chair, and I... I broke. I didn't want to, but I did. I broke. I still see him approach you with plyers and the knives, and he..." He suddenly bolted out of the bed, almost stumbling to the ground and rushing to the bathroom. Judy accompanied him and held his gown has he emptied his stomach in the toilet. "I broke." Came his weak voice, muffled by the bowl. She pulled him from his slumped position and wiped his face.

"You didn't."

"I..."

"It was a dream. You didn't."

Sitting on the cold tiling of the bathroom floor, she put his head in her lap.

"I did, I-"

"No. You didn't. You'd never. You held against those mammals for the sake of that vixen, and I know you well enough to believe that you'd never let anymammal harm me if you could prevent it. Even if it meant getting tortured to death." She stroked the fur at the base of his neck. "And if we ever find ourselves in a similar situation, I beg you not to do that. Do not sacrifice yourself for my sake. Not ever."

The tears were still flowing from the fox eyes who stared at her. "You really think that ?" Despite the pain he had grabbed her arm almost desperately.

"The part where you'd sacrifice yourself for me, or the part where I don't want you to do that ?"

"Both."

"Both."

"What did I ever do to deserve you ?" He smiled.

They heard the door open. "Miss Hopps, Mister Wilde ?"

"In the bathroom." Answered Judy, helping Nick stand up. She leaded him back to his bed, before joining him in it.

"Are you feeling sick ? I could get you something for that too." Proposed the yak nurse, while rolling the wheeled tray near the bed. From the corner of her eyes, she saw her fox wince at the noise the wheel made.

"Nah, I was just being a bit emotional."

The yak lifted a brow and pushed the pills on the tray. "Take one now and another in four hours if you need it. And eat, you need to replenish your strength and the rest of your blood stock." He took a few steps toward the door and stopped. "And try to keep the 'funny business' to a minimum, both for your and your neighbors' sleep sake." The yak had a coy smile. Judy's face shot red and she was about to retort something. "Doctor Procyon's orders, not mines." Completed the nurse before leaving them alone in the room.

Nick quickly gulped the pill and took the fork to dig in the tasteless plate of food. It's when he noticed the missing finger, the only one that didn't ache when he also grabbed the knife.

"So that part wasn't a dream." He put down the knife and looked at his paw. "Well, at least that finger doesn't hurt."

"You're taking it well."

"I didn't use that finger much to begin with." He shrugged, but she could see he was less okay with it than he showed. He stuck his fork in what looked like meat and winced. The painkillers weren't working yet, and the slightest pressure against his fingers was near excruciating. The bunny took the for from his paw and the knife from the table, cutting the meat.

"I can do that fluff."

"I know you can. Doesn't mean you have to hurt yourself." The fox face showed a bit of embarrassment. "Nick, let me help you."

"Okay fluff."

She gave him his first bite. "And it trains me for when we'll have kids."

Nick chuckled, almost choking on his food.

...

A knock on the door woke the two lovers from their dozing. Despite the long time they both had spent sleeping during the past 24 hours, being together pretty much brought so much peace to them that they had spent their time cuddling and slumbering. Since the door didn't open after the knock, they guessed it wasn't the hospital staff.

"Come in." Said Judy, extracting herself from under the fox. She got down from the bed, needing to use the bathroom. Scarlet entered the room. "Has he...?" She saw the fox rub his eyes and almost leapt to the bed hugging him tight.

"Woh, woh, easy big girl."

Judy gritted her teeth. Despite the fact that she believed the vixen's feeling toward her fox were pretty much dead, she still didn't like to see her rub herself against her fox.

Scarlet pulled away and wiped her tearful eyes, while the bunny gave them a bit of privacy.

"I'm so sorry !"

"There is nothing to be sorry about."

"I told them. I told them who you were. They got you because of m-"

Nick took her paw and kept the wince inside. "I know you didn't do it willingly. You already told me."

"It's all my fault."

"No. It's not. They did the... The torturing. They did it. No one could expect you to hold your ground in this situation."

"You did."

"I'm a cop. It's what I'm paid for." He put a paw on her shoulder. "Look, I know you think it's your fault, and I honestly don't know if there is anything I can say to convince you otherwise, but you at least need to know that I don't blame you. Not a bit."

Judy had come back from the bathroom. "Truly a loss." Said the vixen, to which Judy answered with a nod and a little smile.

"Huh ? What are you talking about ?" Asked Nick.

"Nothing important." The vixen took an inspiration. "There is something else. I'm sorry."

"About what ?"

"Blaming you. About Mike. He chose to follow you, and he died killed by that crooked cop. It wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have blamed you."

"But if-"

"No ifs. I put it on you and it was unfair. I'm sorry for all the things I've said." She sighed. "I think it was the thing I was the more afraid of. To never be able to apologize."

Nick felt a bit awkward at the apology, he hadn't much to answer to the vixen. Thankfully, he was saved from the awkwardness when they heard a knock coming from the door and doctor Procyon entered the room followed by the yak nurse from earlier.

"Good morning mister Wilde. I didn't think you'd wake up that soon. If you could get down from the bed miss Wicce, I'd like to examine him."

The vixen stepped down from the bed and sat in a chair near it.

The doctor looked at the fox pupils and checked his blood pressure. "I suppose your wounds and bruises are still hurting."

"Yeah."

"It's perfectly normal. I'd be more worried if it wasn't the case. I'm sorry we couldn't save your finger."

"Well, I'm alive, so there is still that."

"True. Your claws will grow back. They will itch a lot and be more brittle at first. You must try to refrain from scratching your fingers and using them."

"I think I'll be okay."

"Well, my work here is done. There isn't more I can do. You should be able to leave the hospital in the evening, but no active duty for at least two weeks. And try to not use your paws, or at least the tip of your finger if you can avoid it. The nurse will change the dressing on your wounds. Miss Hopps, miss Wicce, I'll examine you now. Nothing invasive, don't worry."

While he did the same things with them than he did with Nick, Judy observed Nick's bandage being changed. When the yak took out the bandage at the base of his neck, she recognized at biting mark, and another on his arm. The shape was familiar. They were bunny's teeth marks. Judy's heart sank.

"Blood pressure a little high, but otherwise, you seem to be okay miss Hopps. You're leaving us in the evening too, as well as miss Wicce. Mister Wilde, you'll have to get your wound dressing changed at least once a day. Either you'll have to see a doctor or ask someone who knows first aid."

"I know someone." He said, thinking about Clawhauser. He'd buy him donuts for the duration of the healing process.

"Good. Also, given what happened to you, you must prepare yourself for... Problems. Best case scenario a few nightmares, worst case scenario, heavy PTSD." He took out a card and gave it to the fox. "This is a line to psychologist I trust. She mainly deals with civilians but also does great work with officers and veterans. Do not hesitate to use it."

Nick read the car. 'Dr Irma Procyon, Psychologist'. Nick smiled, it seemed the Procyon family treated both body and mind. "Thanks doc. Anything else ?"

"No. I'll be going. Have a nice day, and remember, do not overdo it. And keep this number handy." The raccoon left the room and Nick immediately noticed Judy's state.

Her paws were trembling and she was clearly avoiding his gaze. Scarlet noticed Nick's staring at the bunny.

"I'll leave you alone, I'm sure you have a lot of things to talk about." It was far from subtle, but at least she got to flee from the awkward silence or situation that was sure to follow.

They were now alone in the room and Judy had grabbed her trembling shoulders.

"Fluff, what's happening ?"

"I... Thought I'd never hurt you."

"You'd-"

"But I did."

"What ?" Nick looked at his wound on his arm and rubbed the one near his neck. "This ? This wasn't you."

"I-."

Nick hopped down from the bed. His strength had slightly gotten back so he had no problem getting to her before she had finished turning away. "No. Don't you dare think you hurt me. You didn't."

"I bit you. I hurt you." In all the worse situation she had imagined, all the bad stuff that could happen to them, she had never considered it. She had never considered she could get shot with the nighthowler and go savage.

He pulled her against his chest, blocking her arms when she tried to squirm away. "It was the Nighthowler. Not you. You couldn't fight it, you weren't there. You weren't in control."

"I hurt you." She went limp in his arm. Seeing her in that state was breaking his heart.

"You didn't. You know how the Nighthowler works. It doesn't make mammal regress, it doesn't put them in a fight or flight state. It sets the brain reaction to any stimulis to aggressive. It literally wasn't you. Your brain didn't have the possibility to react in any other way."

"I should have been m-more careful."

He turned her and she buried her face in his chest. She felt safe in his arms, his scent invaded her nose. A part of her felt like she shouldn't have the right to feel like this, not after she had done to him, but she didn't have the strength to push him away.

"I don't care. Maybe you made a mistake, maybe things could have played differently... But what led us to that situation were my mistakes. If I had better covered my tracks, if I hadn't left anything behind me, it wouldn't have happened. I'm the guilty one. Scarlet got hurt because of me, you got shot with the Night-"  
Her face shot up. "No. That's not true. Those were those two mammals decisions. Vlad and Sean. They're the ones to blame. They're the ones that kidnapped you and hurt you, they're the ones that chose that path."

"You really think so ?" He asked with an expression between guilt and hope.

"Yes. I do."

"Then don't blame yourself for their decisions and actions either." He said with a smug grin full of love.

"You..."

"I ?"

"Did you just..."

"It's called a hustle sweetheart."

She crawled up and kissed him. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." He kissed her again. "Now you need to tell me everything that happened before you got to me."

...

"Seems like I was indirectly saved by Mr Big."

"Yeah, I'm sure Koslov was spying Vlad to begin with."

"Did Koslov get into trouble ?"

"No, not according to Buster. If he's mentioned in the news, chances are it will bring trouble to Big's family though."

"Strangely, I'm sure the ZIA will negociate with the ZPD to keep both his and their involvement hidden."

The bunny sighed. "I don't like keeping information from the public. Seems dishonest."

"All we can hope is that someday, this city won't need it anymore."

Suddenly, Judy's phone rang. She grabbed it. "Crud. It's my parents."

"Think they already know about all this ?"

"I don't know if the story has aired yet. Only one way to find out." She was about to press the green button when the caller ID on the phone changed. It was the chief.

She immediately answered. "Hello chief ?"

"Officer Hopps, I heard by doctor Procyon that officer Wilde had awoken. Is that true ?"

"Yup. I'm up" Answered the fox.

"Perfect." They heard a sigh from the other end of the line. "I should have come to the hospital, but the ZIA is keeping me a bit to occupied. When will you be released ?"

"This evening."

"Then I need you both to be at the precinct tomorrow morning."

"Yes Chief."

"Perfect." There was a short silence. "I'm glad you're both okay."

"Thanks chief."

And the buffalo hang up. "Well, that was strange." Remarked the fox.  
"He didn't seem pissed." Added the bunny.

"How unusual. Where were we ?"

Judy had to take refocus and put her ideas in order. "My parents were calling me."

"Maybe we should call back."

They were still a bit shaken but the chief quick call, but Judy quickly dialed her parent's number and pressed the green icon.

"Hello honey !" Came her mother's voice. "How are you doing ?"

Obviously, they didn't know anything. Otherwise, her mother's tone would have been way different.

"I'm good." She said. There was short silence from the other end of the line.

"What's happening ?" Came her father's worried voice.

Judy groaned. She could never keep anything from them. "First of all, I'm fine. Really. Nick is fine too. Everyone is fine."

"You're worrying us, Jude."

"Don't freak out okay ? We ended up in a bit of a pickle yesterday and Nick was hurt. I kind of was too in a way, but I'm overall unharmed."

"Overall ?" Came her mother's voice.

"Promise me you won't freak out." Silence was her answer. There was really no way around that. "I was shot with the Nighthowler."

"Oh sweet cheese and crackers." Came Stu's voice.

"I'm better. I got a serum shot, no lasting side effect, no nothing."

"That's good... Are you really okay ?

"I am."

"And Nick ?" Asked Bonnie.

Nick decided to answer for himself. "Nothing much. Some wolf from my past with some loose ends to tie up. I'm okay now."

They heard Judy's parents sigh loudly. "Why must you both always end up in these kinds of situation."

"Comes with the job Dad. So why did you call ?"

Judy's parents were a bit taken aback by their daughter's sudden switch of topic, but they didn't try to bring back the conversation to the previous one. "We were calling about the wedding. Maybe we should call about that again later ?"

Judy and Nick looked at each other. They were both eager to find something else to think about than the events from the previous day. "No, we're fine." The bunny hopped down from the bed and found her notepad in her stuff stored in the room's closet. "So, what about our wedding ?"

"First of all, we'd like to know if Nick is really okay with us setting it up."

"I know it's a big deal for you. I mean, it's also for me, but there is not much tradition for foxes' weddings. As long as I get to invite whoever I want, you probably won't hear me complain."

"Wonderful. Did Judy talk to you a bit about bunny weddings ?"

"Humongous parties with way too much bunny ears to count ? Several wedding at once ? Yep, she did."

"So, to go a bit more in details." Came Stu's voice. "Each couple gets to exchange their vows individually in front of an official. There are also religious options if you want them."

"Nope. Not religious."

"Okay. Then you'll just have to sign the papers either during the ceremony or after. We usually do it afterwards, but it's really for you to chose."

"What do you prefer Carrots ?"

"I'd prefer after. Things tend to get lost during bunny weddings." Judy answered.

"True. We once lost one of the couples. They were found three days later in the cellar, stripped naked and completely hungover."

"Stu !" Came Bonnie's voice.

"What ? I'm just giving some trivia. And what about the date ? There is an event in about five months. We could easily get you grafted to it."

"What do you think Nick ?"

"I'm fine with that."

"Writing that down. I'll have some papers sent for you to sign up." Continued the male bunny. "Do you have an estimation of the number of guest you'll bring ?"

"Let us think for a minute..." Answered Judy. "I guess pretty much all the tri-burrows will be there ?"

"Yep."

The bunny opened the notepad app on her phone "So, Finnick and your mom, obviously. And Hollie..."

"Clawhauser. Oh, and Wolford and Blackfur."

"Yes, they have to come." She added another name Nick hadn't thought about.

"Bogo ? You want the chief to come at your wedding ? Not afraid he'll trample somebunny ?"

"I wouldn't want Clawhauser to feel lonely there." She smiled.

"You want them to out themselves, do you ? You're getting as mischievous as me."

The bunny didn't answer but smile turned to coy. "Fru Fru, her husband and Mr Big."

"They'll come with their bodyguards, we'll have to ask how many."

"Yep. Can I add Buster ?"

"I got no problem with that. Anyone else in mind ?"

"Nope. So it brings it to around 20 mammals, maybe more." She heard her father mumble something. "What did you say ?"

"I was just wondering how we'd accommodate for size difference. I'll need you to send me their names, species and addresses later."

"Now about the gown." Came her mother's voice.

"Sorry mom, I promised Fru-Fru she'd get to chose it."

"Oh." She sounded a bit disappointed. "Do you have best mammals and witnesses in mind ?"

"I'll ask Fru Fru for both, she'll probably say yes."

"And I'll ask Finnick." Added Nick.

They heard Stu giggle. "No bunny, this is sure to start some gossip."

"You mean, worse than a bunny marrying a fox ?" Asked Judy jokingly.

"Heh, maybe. Pretty much the whole tri-burrows knows about it by now." There was a sudden ringing noise in the background. "They're here soon."

"What is it ?" Asked Judy.

"We're having guests over, but they arriving sooner than we were expecting. I'm sorry to cut this short."

"That's okay dad, we'll talk later."

"Love you." Said her mother.

"Bye mom, bye dad."

"See you soon." Completed Nick. "They put this all in place really fast."

"We tend to be effective with administrative stuff. Handling big numbers..."

"Multiplying, that sort of stuff ?" He asked, nuzzling her ear.

"Exactly."

...

It was shortly after noon when Judy and Nick heard a knock on the door.

"Come in" Said Nick.

The door literally flew open, and a red blur bolted through the door, leaping to Nick's neck. "Wow, easy there, mom. I'm still hurt."

"Is your work always going to be that dangerous ?" She said, hugging him tight.

"For the record, this wasn't completely job related."

"Ya scared us, kid."

"Oh come on. I've been in worse shapes before."

"Not by much."

Nick looked above his mother's shoulder to see the little fennec girl who was carrying a little bag with her. "Are you going to present me ?" He asked.

"Oh sorry. Yes." She got down from the bed and pushed the small fennec toward Nick which sat on the edge of his bed.

"Nick, meet Hollie."

"Hi Hollie. I'm Nick. Nice to meet you." He extended a paw and she looked at the bandages curiously. She precautionously shook it. "I'm sorry, I'm not really presentable right now."  
He got a shrug as answer.

"You don't talk much do you ?"

"No."

"Well that's fine. Someone I knew often said that you shouldn't talk if you have nothing to say."

"Not that it ever stopped ya'." Intervened Finnick.

"Well, you all love me for it." Said the fox, pulling Judy, who had approached, against him. "Don't you ?"

"I do. Oh, by the way, me and Nick will get married in five months."

"What ? That soon ?" Asked Finnick.

"Fin, you don't get to comment on how fast I marry my bunny." Quipped Nick. "So yes, that soon. You're my witness and best mammal by the way."

"Shure."

They fist bumped on it, lightly because of Nick's paw. Judy and Vivienne exchanged an annoyed glance. Judy suddenly had an idea. "Vivienne, what about you being my witness ?"  
"Are you sure dear ?"

"Well, I was yours, and the spot of matron of honor is already taken, so..."

"In that case, of course." She hugged the bunny.

"Ya shure ya don't want another mammal as a witness ? The gals going to outnumber us."

"Nah. Maybe I could ask Bogo for the fun of it, but I can't the risk for him agree." Nick smiled. "Wait. What if I get Mr Big as my best mammal and Bogo as my witness ?"

"No." Cut Judy. "I know that smile. You're not setting up this as a prank."

"Alright. Alright. No pranking the chief using a crimelord. You're no fun, fluff."

"That's why you love me."

"That, I do."

...

Nick still felt a bit weak from the blood loss, but apart from the pulsating pain his paws, he felt alright. Judy at his side, they entered the precinct, stopping at Clawhauser's desk to greet him.

"Hi guys ! How are you doing ?"

"We're good." Answered the bunny. "You ?"

"I'm fine." He leaned forward to talk to them a bit more privately. "I heard about what happened. It seems the ZIA want to cover it up and the chief is pretty pissed about that."

The two mates glanced at each other. "Doesn't surprise me." Remarked the fox.

"Nick I'm sorry for what happened to you, and for your..." He pointed at the fox's left paw.

"Well, on the bright side, I lost a bit of weight. I don't recommend the diet however."

The cheetah had an awkward laugh before turning to the bunny. "And I know about the whole Nighthowler thing too... Are you really okay Judy ?"

"Ben, don't worry about me. I don't even remember what happened when I was under its influence."

"Okay. Well I guess you should go see the chief. And if you need anything, just ask, alright ?"

"Will do Ben."

"Thanks big guy."

They waved while getting away toward the chief's office.

"Think other officers than him know about this ?" Asked the bunny.

"Hope not. I don't want to have to find a joke each time somemammal express concern for my paw."

They arrived in front of the door and the bunny knocked. "Come in." Came the chief's gruff voice.

Both mammals entered and sat on the chair that was in front of the buffalo's desk. "I'm happy that you both look mostly okay. According to your doctor, there won't be any long-lasting sequel." Stated the buffalo.  
"Apart from the missing finger, no."

"Good. Officer Hopps, I'm also glad you being shot by the Nighthowler didn't have a more dramatic resolution."

"Thanks sir."

"Now with all this out of the way, let's get down to business. We should have a few minutes before agent Savage arrives. I've read officer Buster's report and according to him, you were shot while you were about to cuff the culprit. Any thoughts about this ?"

The bunny gritted her teeth. "I looked away for a second to ask if they were okay. I thought the wolf was unconscious."

"Not an uncommon mistake. At least you weren't harmed. I trust it's not one you'll do again."

"I won't sir."

"Outstanding. Getting back before you entered the premises, why did you choose to leave the bear named Koslov to wait alone for the ZPD ?" The chief's expression was neutral.

"Well, I very well couldn't let a civilian come with us. And I couldn't really tell him to go away. I know that an officer should never separate themselves from their partner so I couldn't tell Buster to stay with him."

"And what if someone had tried to escape from the warehouse ? Did you consider the civilian's safety ?"

"I did consider it, but I believed he knew how to take care of himself considering his past."

The chief scribbled something on the file that was in front of him. "And lastly, what about you decision to not wait for more officers to back you up ?"

"In case of kidnapping, every moments count. The less time the victims spend at the paws of their captors, the higher their chances of survival are."

"Would you say you were influenced by the identity of said victims."

Nick gritted his teeth, feeling the question was a bit unfair. Judy winced but answered. "Yes."

The chief scribbled a last thing and rested his chin on his intertwined hooves. "Despite your... Creative interpretation of the usual procedure concerning Koslov, I must say your way of handling that situation was almost perfect. You did make the mistake of assuming the culprit was down, but no officer can handle this kind of situation perfectly. You were under high stress and came out on top. Good job."

The bunny exhaled with relief. "Thanks sir."

There was sudden knock on the door. "I hoped we'd have more time to talk." Remarked the buffalo. "Come in."

Jack Savage entered the office. "Hello officers. Hello chief."

"Hello agent Savage."

"So, let's cut to the chase. We wish for the minimal amount of info to come out on this case."

"I already know that. I simply don't agree with what you refer as 'the minimal amount.' "

The fox lifted a paw. "Can I know exactly what amount we're talking about."

"We wish that neither mine, nor Koslov's name was revealed. No mention of the ZIA's implication, nor of Nick as a victim. For the rest, we don't really care."

"Keeping your involvement a secret won't be hard. The only three mammals that saw you near the warehouse were officer Buster, officer Hopps and the civilian named Koslov. For Koslov however, it complicates things. Officers from Tundratown precincts saw him, and I'm pretty sure his name was mentioned in their reports."

"Revealing Koslov's involvement with either the ZPD or the ZIA could disturb Mr Big's operations."

The chief frowned.

"I know how it sounds like, but we both know that as far as crimeboss go, having Big's family on top rather than another is a good thing."

"True." Reluctantly agreed the chief.

"I may have a suggestion." Intervened the bunny. The three other mammals turned to her. "There are already a few rumors that both me and Nick have personal ties with Big's family, and it's known that they were a help in the resolution of the Nighthowler case. Maybe if we let it heard that they used me to get rid of Vlad, it could be a good thing. And maybe Vlad could have wanted to use Nick to pressure Big's family into... Well anything. And it would explain why Koslov would have given me the info."

"Still doesn't explain how all the henchmen in the warehouse got dispatched."

Jack had a cold smile. "I'm pretty sure ZPD's forensic already have a leading theory, confirmed by the ballistic."  
The chief groaned. It was the second time he'd have to hide the truth for a case related to the ZIA. "I won't release a lie. I won't throw in the supposition of my officers' relation with the mob. I'll say they received a tip by a civilian named Koslov and that's it. Your name won't be mentioned. That's the best I can give you."  
The striped bunny scratched his chin. "It should be enough. I'm sure we'll manage something on our end." He got down from his seat. "If that's all, I'm going to go. I have work ahead of me."

The ZIA agent having left, the chief sighed loudly. "Nick, I hope you'll be able to get us and the ZIA on the same page. I really don't like the way they handle their cases."

"I'll do my best, sir."

"Good. Now, I'd like to know how you got kidnapped. I'd also like you to go over what happened at the warehouse. I know it's probably not a memory you want to relive this soon, but it's necessary. What you say now will be considered as your statement, so no need to write me a report later." The chief put a recorder on the desk and crossed his hooves, waiting for the fox to begin his story.

Nick swallowed, steeling himself again the memory he was about to face again. Judy gently took one of his paws. "Well, all began when I receive that text..."

...

Nick had finished his story and the chief clicked the stop button on the recorder. "Usually I'd say something about leaving business unfinished. It could have been better and it could have been worse. No mammal can get out of this unscathed, don't hesitate to seek help should you require it."

"I'll keep that in mind."

The fox noticed the slight glint of disbelief in the chief's gaze.

"Was there anything else ?"

"No. I think we're done here. I'm giving you both two days off, full pay. Officer Buster will have to make due with parking duty. If you need more, it will be sick leave."

"Before we go sir, we have something to ask." Said the bunny.

"Go ahead."

"Would you come to our wedding ?"

The buffalo blinked a few times and the shadow of a few contradictory expressions came and went on his face. "Did you ask Clawhauser yet ?"

"No."

The chief pressed a button on his phone. "Officer Clawhauser, could you come to my office please."

"Coming right away sir."

A few seconds later, the cheetah knocked and enter. "What do you need sir."

"You're off duty for the next fourty seconds." He then turned to Judy. "Could you please repeat your question Officer Hopps ?"

Nick casually put paws on his ears while Judy asked. "Would you two come to our wedding ?" As she saw the large smile grow on his face, the bunny imitated her mate and so did the chief.

"AAAAAAWWWWWWWW ! Oh ! Em ! Goodness ! Yes ! Yes, of course." He grabbed both of the mammals and hugged them.

Nick seemed to suddenly think about something. "And what about being my second groomsmammal ?"

With the feline's arms restraining their movements, they could barely reach their ears in time again.

"AAAAAAWWWWWWW ! Of course ! Do I get to organize your bachelor party ?"

"You'll have to see about that with Finnick."


	20. Bunny and Fox

_**Foxlover91 :** Oh you can be sure things are going to be optimistic and lively from now on... Or will they ?_

 _ **Jamdea :** Yeah, because we all want Nick to fall into the pits of PTSD and hang himslef, AMIRITE ? You monster.  
Jokes aside, yeah, PTSD is a deep problem, that touches a lot of people. I know a couple of people who suffer from it, but I still have a hard time describing it properly._

 ** _I noticed that I wasn't that clear about Sean's whereabouts in the last chapter. I edited it to make it more easy to follow. The part where I talked about him was a discussion between Judy and Buster :_**

* * *

 _"What do you mean ?"  
_

 _"Forensic is still examining the crime scene. If they hadn't gotten my report, they would believe that the fox, who was named Sean by the way, had eaten one of his own bullets, and that the other henchmen at the warehouse had shot eachother. No trace of the bunny."  
_

 _"That's... Disturbing. And what about Koslov ?"  
_

* * *

 ** _I Edited the chapter, and now that part has been replaced by :_**

* * *

 _"What do you mean ?"_

 _"Forensic is still examining the crime scene. It seems there was a firefight between Vlad's henchmammals and that they killed eachother. I'm pretty sure my report will be redacted to fit with their report."_

 _"And Sean ?"_

 _"They found him with his brain blown off. The gun used was the one found in his paw. No traces of agent Savage."_

 _"That's... Disturbing. And what about Koslov ?"_

* * *

 _ **Oh my god, the fluff... It's- It's taking over. I can't fight it, it's too strong. Please send helaflgarghglarghglgllg...**_

 _ **Ded.**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 20 :** Bunny and Fox_

 _June of 2020_

"You're nervous." Nick was relaxing, his paw behind his head, while Judy was driving. Judy was highly focused on the road and hadn't talked for at least an hour. She looked very stiff, and she was driving a tad slow.

"Yeah."

"You want to turn back ?"

"If I did that, Fru-Fru would put a bounty on my head."

"Ooooh, crime related jokes, you really are nervous." He approached and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Want to make a pause ?"

"No. The sooner we arrive the better." She was keeping her eyes on the straight road.

"You know, the wedding is in two days. Whether we arrive today or tomorrow doesn't make a big difference. We could stop at a hotel. We'd take a long relaxing bath,

I'd give you a massage..." He ran a claw along the bunny's neck and saw her shiver.

"Nope. And no teasing when I'm driving." She pushed away his paw but not before kissing it. "It's the crowd. The whole thing will be on a stage in one of my families

field. I saw the pictures, it going to be really big." She sighed. "We should have gone for something more intimate."

"Well, if it can reassure you, I'm not really liking this any more than you do."

The bunny felt the urge to bump her head on the wheel but didn't. "Why did I accept for my parents to put this all in place ?"

"I think your exact were 'my parents won't ever let me live it down' so basically : pressure."

The bunny sighed loudly. "You're right. I need a pause."

He kissed her neck. "Maybe find a place with bushes. Nature always helps you relax."

"No, we're just switching seats."

"You're no fun, fluff."

Judy was resting her feet on the dashboard. "So, you didn't tell me what you did for your bachelor party."

The fox had a corner smile. "Well, it was originally Finnick's idea... They took me from the apartment, blindfolded me... And I found myself in front of a lot of mostly naked mammals."

"Finnick took you to a strip club ?"

"And if you really want to know, it was one owned by Mr Big."

"Did you see things you liked ?" She smiled to hide her jealous expression.

"Well, there was that really nice and flexible otter... Did a number with a pole and an aquarium. I'll send you the video, just in case you want to try it out."

"You'll tell Finnick he's off the godfather list."

The fox chuckled. "Well, it was originally Finnick's idea, but really, it received a little tweak from Wolford and Clawhauser."

"What kind of tweak ?"

"I never said the otter was a female." Smiled the fox.

"Wait... It was a male stripper club ?"

"Yup."

"Oh sweet cheese and crackers." Guffawed Judy. "A gay club, for your bachelor party. How did Buster take it ?"

"He found the place. He worked there for a while before joining the ZPD."

"He danced ?"

"No, he was a bouncer in the small mammal part of the club."

"I at least hope you had fun !"

"I'd even go as far as to call it a journey of self-discovery." Grinned the fox while glancing at the bunny over his sunglasses.

"I'll tell to Gideon to watch his back around you."

"Destroy all my dreams and hopes, why don't you. Too bad Finnick had to leave half-way through to go keep Hollie, but otherwise my mom wouldn't have been able to join you for your party. How was it by the way ?"

Judy felt her face heat up a bit. "It was nice."

"As in embarrassing ?"

"No. Just nice. Pretty relaxing. Nothing too crazy."

Nick flashed her the corner of a grin. "And who decided what you would do for this nice relaxing and totally not crazy night ?"

"Well, it was mostly Fru-Fru. But Blackfur decided it was a bachelorette party and should be more..." The bunny stopped talking and took a water bottle from the bag in the backseat.

"Guess I'll have to ask my mom."

Judy choked on her water. When he fit of cough stopped she could finally articulate. "We went dancing. Just dancing."

"And that's what put you in that state. Now I'll definitely ask my mom."

The bunny sighed. "Of for carrot's sake. We went to the Disco night at Mystic's Spring Oasis."

"Oh."

The bunny noticed a bit of disappointment in Nick's voice. "What ?"

"I kinda wanted to bring you there sometimes. Did you like it ?"

"You wanted to bring me here ? Like as a date ?"

"A surprise date from which you wouldn't have been able to back out from, but basically, yeah. As a date. And you didn't answer my question."

"Yes. You ended up forgetting that you're naked and it's quite nice to dance like that. And freeing too."

"I knew you'd like it.."

"You've already been there ?"

"Couple of times. Well, I guess we could still go on Tantric Tuesday."

The bunny's face instantly shot red. "What ? No ! Never ! It's not some... And you're pulling my leg."

"Yup."

The bunny frowned. "Bad fox. So you have nothing against your mother being naked around a bunch of random mammals and dancing her ass off to the music ?"

Nick smirked. "First of all, I have no problem about it as long as I'm not there to see it. Second, I'm pretty sure Finnick would like it a lot less. Except if he was there.

Third, if you bring my mom into it, I'll have to send tickets to your parents to even the field. And one for you to accompany them."

"Alright. Message receiv-"

"On tantric tuesday. OW. Okay, I deserved that one." Said the fox, rubbing his ribs where the bunny had punched him. Nick blinked a few times. "Wait, it was Blackfur's idea ?"

"Mostly yes. Fru-Fru had suggested a stripper club at first, but I think she guessed I wouldn't be into that."

"So our panda is the stripping kind. Hope you got some photos for Wolford."

"You're never dropping that joke, are you ?"

"Never. But with the shirt dropping at Clawhauser's party a few months ago, I'm beginning to wonder if she doesn't have a thing against clothes. Maybe if I get her to drink a lot during the wedding."

"You're not getting her drunk."

"Not sure she'll need much of my help. Hey, only fifteen miles left. We're almost there."

...

The car screeched on the gravel in front of the Hopp's house. It was quickly surrounded by a whole bunch of bunnies, most of them being kids.

"Judy !"

"Nick !"

"There you are ?"

"How was the trip ?"

"Are you really getting married ?"

"Kids ! Stop annoying our guests, I'm sure they're tired." Came Bonnie's voice as she got out of the house. "Judy, Nick, it's so nice to see you !" She hugged them both.

"Nick ! Jude the Dude ! It's so nice to see you !" Stu left the house in turn and hugged his daughter before shaking Nick's paw. "How was the trip ?"

"Shorter with your daughter keeping me company."

Judy had already opened the car's trunk and taken out the luggage. "Do you need help hon ?" Asked her mother.

"Thanks mom, but we got this." Nick came and took his own suitcase.

They got to Judy's old room, and set their suitcases here. "Well, it's a good thing Fru-Fru reserved a hotel in town, because her bears bodyguard would never have fitted in here." Remarked the fox.

"Yeah. I'm still surprised you mom preferred to sleep in the house however. Fru-Fru would have had no problem paying for her room."

"Mom doesn't really like handouts. And I think she wants to spend more time with your parents, get to know them better."

"She'll probably get to know the whole family. I hope it won't be to overwhelming for them."

"Well, as a fox, I can say that all those fluffy little butts hopping around are more exciting than really stressful."

"Nick !"

The fox felt the sting of Judy's elbow in his ribs. "Just kidding Carrots. But on a more serious note, I'm more worried for Hollie. She opened up a bit more but she still pretty shy. And I'm not sure immersion in the world of the top tier hugging competition contenders would be a good thing."

Judy froze for a couple of seconds. "You prepared that one for a long time, did you not ?"

"Yup. But I'm still worried for her."

"I think she'll do fine. I'll tell my parents to keep an eye open just in case, but she should be okay. Let's get back down, I have to greet the rest of my family."

"The whole ten thousand of them ?" Nick quipped.

Judy twitched.

"Okay, come here."

"What ?"

"Just come. I'm not going to punch you."

The fox took a few steps toward his mate with his paws in his pockets, still sporting his relaxed demeanor. The bunny caught his tie and pulled on it, but instead of kissing him, she wrapped her arms his neck and hugged him.

"What's that for."

"Shh." Her paw scratched the base of his neck and she felt him slowly relax. "You're stressed out."

"How did you know ?"

"You get insufferable when you're under pressure."

"Silly bunny, I'm always insufferable."

She flicked one his ears.

"Sorry."

He leaned more into the hug, burying his face in the base of the bunny's neck, breathing in her scent. His heart slowed down a bit.

"Better ?"

"Yeah. Thanks fluff." He kissed her. "You always know what to do."

"I know. I'm the best. Let's go greet my ten thousand siblings, now. Otherwise, we won't have time to get married."

As they left the room, they noticed the footsteps noise that went away from them in the hallway.

"We were spied on ?" asked the fox.

"Privacy is not something you'll have much of in the burrows."

They reached the large living room in which they found at least two dozens bunny of all sizes. Judy began hugging one bunny after the other, but quickly those greetings turned into a group hug.

"Evan, Lily, how are you ? Riley, you've grown again ! Ellis, you lost some weight. Kyle you gained some."

"Hey !"

"It suits you. Phoebe, I like your new hair. Isabelle, Oscar, I hope you're both well..."

Each bunny came and shook his paw. It seemed they knew that other species were not as much into physical contact as they were. He had tried to remember each name at first, but given how many mammals he was about to meet in the next days, he quickly gave up.

"Judy, hi." Came a voice from the room entrance. Judy turned to see Jessica. The room felt like it suddenly got colder.

"Hi Jessica." Greeted Judy, slightly less awkwardly but only by a hair.

"Hello Jess." Said Nick with a smile.

"Hey guys !" Greeted Gideon, appearing behind her through the door. "Glad ya made it here."

"Okay kids, time to clear the room." Said Bonnie, clapping her paws a few times.

"But moooom !" Came multiple voices.

"Out. You too Stu."

"But Boooon !"

She pushed them all outside to give them some relative privacy and closed the door.

"I-" Began Judy's cousin before stopping. Gideon tapped her shoulder encouragingly. She took a deep breath. "I owe you an apology. I was stupid and I said mean thing, and I was wrong." She bit her lips. "Saying a predator and prey couldn't be together, that their relationship couldn't work... It was... I see it know, it has nothing to do with species or anything. If it's the right mammals it will just work out." She was bending her finger and didn't dare to look up. "I hope you'll forgive me."

Judy lept forward and hugged her cousin. "Of course I do. I'm glad you changed your opinion on this."

"Well, that's not that surprising." Said Nick with a smile.

Judy glanced at them "Why do you say that ?"

"Oh, no reason." Smirked the fox, pointing at Jessica's paw.

Judy looked down and saw the engagement ring. Her mouth fell as she put two and two together.

"Sorry again Judy. I wanted to apologize face to face. And sorry I didn't tell you about that too."

"What- But- How-"

Nick came and put a paw around his bunny's shoulder. "Easy fluff. Use your words."

"You're engaged ?"

"Yup. We're actually gettin' married in two days." Answered the chubby fox.

"Huh ?"

"Yeah. You're actually first on the list. We're the third couple after y'all. We didn't want to steal the spotlight. Wouldda been unfair."

Judy had still difficulty to grasp the whole situation. She took a couple of deep breath. "Wait. How did that happen ? And when ?"

"Short version, I realised I was stupid and I was hiding from my feelings. And then I confessed to him." Quickly answered Jessica.

"And the long version ?" Asked Nick.

"Well, we better sit, 'cuz it ain't gon' be too short." Said Gideon, directing them to the sofa.

* * *

 _January of 2020_

"Ya know, ya don't have to come every day. It's pretty calm dese days and ya need some rest too." Came Gideon's voice from the back of the shop.

"Nonsense. You have no one else to help you right now. I'll stop coming once you get a new employee."

The truth was, Gideon was in no hurry to find a new employee. Having Jessica come every day had brightened his life, and he knew that without her, the place would feel way more empty.

Jessica was cleaning up the counter as they were about to close when the door opened.

"Hi guys."

"Hi Travis ! What can I do for you ?"

"Hi Jessy. I'd like that strawberry pie, right here." Said the weasel taking out his wallet. "You're here often these days. You know, if you spend all that time together, you might as well get married." He joked.

The bunny's face heated up. She took the pie and put it in a box. "You shouldn't joke about that. I have enough of one depraved bunny in my family. I mean, I'm not interested in foxes, and I'm pretty sure Gideon isn't interested in bunnies anyway. Prey and predators together. Hah." She took the banknote Travis was holding. "A fox and a bunny." She snorted. "Can you imagine anything more incompatible. No way in hell I'd date a fox." She looked up, extending a paw to give the weasel his change when she saw his embarrassed gaze at something behind her.

 _Please don't be there. Please be in the back of the shop._

She risked a glance back and all blood left her face. She had seen Gideon sad before, when he messed up a batch of bakeries or when some bunny would say something hurtful about foxes, but the blank expression he was wearing now was way worse.

"I gotta... I need ta look for something in da back... Right. In the back. Hi Travis. Sorry. Gotta go... Look for..." The fox turned and left.

She looked back at Travis who was wearing an awkward expression. "You really believe what you just said ?"

"What ?"

"About predators and prey. Foxes and bunnies being together."

"Of course." She answered after a second of hesitation that Travis didn't miss.

"I don't know... I think that we're more than our own species, but I'm not a highly educated predator. Maybe I'm too dumb to understand that prey and predators shouldn't even be friends to begin with." He gave her a conniving wink.

"Huh ?"

"I'll let you close the store. You may want to go and help him found that 'thing' in the back." _Probably the pieces of his broken heart._

The weasel directed himself to the door and turned the little sign to set it to 'close' and waved as he left.

The bunny stayed frozen in place for what seemed to be hours. When she finally found the courage to look for the fox, she found him sitting on a cardboard box, silently weeping, and vainly trying to wipe his eyes.

"Ya should go. I can close da shop by myself." He said between two sobs when he noticed her presence. She was pretty tempted to take him up on his offer but there was no way she could leave him that state.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you sad."

"Tha's okay. I already knew wot ya thought about all that wid' us foxes." He had rested his elbows on his knees, but his head was still slumped, like he was trying to hide his crying face.

"Gid, I didn't mean that foxes were bad or..." She felt a bit lost. She knew she could sometimes be a bit fuzzy in the way she expressed herself, but she didn't think she had been insulting. "I just said that bunnies and fox couldn't work as a..."

"Yeah. Ya said that."

Jessica felt lost. Something in her mind felt stuck. He couldn't take it that bad, they were just friends. They could be friend. She wouldn't abandon him just because...  
The bunny had fallen mute. Understanding that Gideon had feelings for her had been a slap in the face, and she was now completely stunned. A string was pulled in her chest, but she quickly dismissed the silly feeling. She closed her eyes and took a couple of breath.

"I'm sorry Gid. If I can do anything, just tell me, alright ? We're still friends."

The fox gritted his teeth. It was true, they were friends, but he didn't want to only be her friend. "I'll tell ya." His head slumped down. "Maybe don't come tomorrow, I need a bit of time to think."

Jessica felt something akin to a sharp pain in her chest. "O-okay. See you then."

"See ya."

She left the shop in a state of confusion and mixed feelings, fighting a lost battle against rising tears.

She had barely slept that night, and had been up at the usual hour, even though it was of no use since she didn't have to go and help Gideon open the shop. At least she could use her other work to busy her mind. As each weekday, right after she had finished Gideon set up shop, she went to the post office to prepare to deliver mail. Her shift ended at noon, and she knew she would have a bit of paperwork to do in the afternoon. As she was sitting on a bench on the street, about to enjoy her meal, she received a text.

"I did a bit of thinking. Can you come take a drink with me this evening ? I'll close the shop sooner."

"Of course." She immediately replied. Two contradictory feelings emerged following that message. On one side, she did want to see him, and to be here for him, but on the other, she was afraid that whatever they would talk about, she wouldn't really like it.

...

She arrived at the bar near Gideon's bakery, where they usually shared a drink after work. He was already sitting at a table, and had already downed a beer. He had chosen a booth a bit removed from the others so they'd have privacy.

"Hi Gid."

"Hey Jess."

She sat in front of him and a waitress quickly arrived to take her order. They stared at their drinks for a long time before one of them decided to talk.

"So..." Began Gideon.

"Yeah ?"

"I... Oh crap. This is hard." He twisted his finger anxiously. "Alright, here goes. As Ya probably guessed, I have feelings for ya. I just didn't want ya to learn of it like dat.

I wanted to invite you to dinner and catch a movie. Then I'd tell ya I have feelin's for ya. I mean, I knew ya would probably not feel da same way, but I had to try. Ta be honest, I wos happy my old employee left, I got ta see ya more often."

Jessica stayed mute. She didn't know what to say. That string in her heart was pulled again, but she pushed the feeling away.

"So... I mean, I know this is direct, but what do ya... How do ya see me ?"

"Well... You're nice, and sweet. And you're a good friend..." She got stuck here. She didn't want to say more, it would make it too definitive, too final. And she felt like if she said more, their relation would never recover from it.

"Ya don't see me like 'dat ?"

She didn't move, and kept her stare on her chocolate mug. "I don't-" She suddenly felt her tears rise "I-" She was short breathed. "-dont have..." sSe felt her paws tremble. "I don't- I..." She felt sick, the deaf pain appeared in her chest again.

"Alright. I get it." He sighed sadly. "I get it."

"Is there anything I can do ?"

"Nah. I'll get over you on my own. Those are my feelings, it's up to me to deal wid' dem."

An awkward silence fell, which the fox broke a few seconds later.

"Actually, there's a thing ya could do, or not do. But ya won't like it."

"Tell me. I'll do anything if it can help."

"Could you... Not come to work for a couple of weeks ?" He kept staring at the table. "It ain't like I don't want to be you friend, but... I need some alone time ta think. You know put stuff in perspective. And Ah know I won't be able to do that if I see ya."

Jessica swallowed back the rising tears. "Are you sure ?"

"Yeah. I just... I need 'dat. Please."

"Alright." She got up from her seat. "I'll give you space, if that's what you need. I- I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. Don't apologise."

She put a bill on the table to pay for the drink she hadn't even touched. "If you need anything, you still have my phone number." She quickly turned away to hide the fact that she was now crying and quickly left the bar.

The bunny jumped on her bike, barely taking the time to put her helmet on and launched the roaring beast down bunny-burrows' main street. She needed the speed.

She needed to put as much distance between her and the bakery. To let the whistling wind take away the pain. It always worked. Each time she felt bad, the speed soothed her pain.

She had left the city and was driving half-aimlessly down the roads, on an indirect path to her home, when she suddenly saw the light of a police cruiser behind her. She sighed and pulled over. The car stopped behind her and the ram officer got out of it. She began to take off her helmet and prepared to receive an earfull from the aging officer.

"Miss Springer. You again. It's the second time in three months I catch... Oh."

She lifted and eyebrow as she saw him take something from his pocket. He gave her a tissue. She lifted a brow.

"Are you okay ?" He asked

She took the tissue and noticed she was still crying. "I don't know officer Rammington."  
The ram felt embarrassed, on one hoof, she was speeding, and not only a bit, but on the other, she really seemed in distress. He couldn't understand where the overly cheery and energetic bunny had disappeared.

"Maybe you shouldn't be driving right now."

"Yeah. I shouldn't."

He could have proposed to take her home, but he couldn't really leave the bike here either, and asking for a tow truck would mean paperwork and having to find an adequate explanation.

"I won't give you a ticket, and I'll stay here until you feel better. And you better not speed again, or that time, be sure you'll have a ticket. And not a small one."

"Okay. Thanks officer."

"Don't mention it." He glanced at his deer partner who had put his feet on the dashboard and his hooves behind his antlers. It seemed the guy had understood they'd stay here for a bit. "Wanna talk about it ?"

"Not really. Sorry."

"That's okay. It's your business."

In the end, it took her only fifteen minutes and a complete tissue pack to calm her down. She climbed back on her bike and the cruiser accompanied her home. She went to bed without eating and barely slept that night.

...

She woke early the next few days, feeling empty and restless. She would usually be at Gideon's bakery, but she couldn't go, and even if she could, she wouldn't be able to face him. The events of that evening played on a loop in her mind as she was delivering mail. She was finishing her early shift that saturday morning when she came across Travis' home. He was leaning against the mailbox in his bathrobe, a cup of coffee in his paw.

"Hi Jessica." She never knew what to make of Travis. He had a thing for hitting where it hurt the most, but he never seemed like he enjoyed it. Despite the little falling out him and Gideon had had when the weasel had started taking his life in his own paws, he had gone back in the fox's life when Gideon had decided to become an adult. She couldn't say he was the fox's best friend, but he certainly was the one that had known him the longest.

"Hi Travis." She said giving him his mail instead of putting it in the box.

"Talked to Gid recently ?"

The bunny froze. "That's none of your business."

"He's my friend. That makes it kind of my business." He sipped on his coffee, giving the bunny an inquisitive gaze.

She sighed. "No. We haven't really talked since... Well, since what you know. Now sorry to leave you like this, but you're not the only one I have to deliver mail to." She had spoke a bit dryly, but she didn't feel like having this kind of conversation with him.

"Can you do me a favor ?" He asked out of the blue.

"If it means I can get back to work, anything."

"You should go and tell him of your feelings for him."

"I don't-" She had felt a weight on her chest the moment she had started talking, but the weasel didn't let her finish.

"Or of you absence of feelings. Whatever. Guess you weren't that close, but it's understandable since he's a fox and you're a bunny."

She was heating up. She was under the impression that Travis was purposely getting on her nerves. "I don't see what it has to do with anything. We can be friends, whatever our species !"

"Yeah, well I'm not sure you really believe that. I'm not sure I do either. If he was a bunny, I'm pretty sure you would have been together for a long time. Seems ironic that the burrows' most close minded mammal ended up being so open, when everyone around him seems to stay stuck in their ways, huh ?"

"I'm not stuck in my ways !"

The weasel lifted a sarcastic brow. "I won't be the one to try and change your mind about that." He chuckled. "But you're right, what you do with your feelings isn't my business. Forget I said anything." He made a half turn and headed back to his house, mail in hand. "Have a nice day bunny. Try to not think to hard about it, it's probably simpler than you think." He glanced down at the mail. "Bills. Figures."

She watched the weasel disappeared in his house with a scowl.

"What does that rat know about friendship anyway." She muttered, getting back on the post-office bike. "He doesn't know anything. He wasn't there for Gideon when he fell out of school. He abandoned him like the rest."

 _Like I did at the shop._

"He asked me to leave him alone. It had to be because he wanted it."

 _And now he's alone. And he hasn't hired anyone yet so he's working twice the amount to keep up._

"It's not my fault. He knows that if he wants anything, he just has to ask."

 _So what about going there and telling him that I don't have any feelings for him ?_

Lost in her thought, she bumped into the curb and almost lost control of the bike. She took back control quickly enough and stopped, to put the mail in a mailbox.

"I don't want to say that to him. I don't want to hurt him."

 _Well, I already did. So maybe I should finish what I started._

"That sucks. I wish this wasn't like that."

 _Like what ? Like he didn't have feelings for me ?_

The bunny climbed back on the bike and started driving it again down the street. A couple more streets, and she would have finished delivering mail for the day.

"I wish the world wasn't like it was."

 _So I'm saying I want him to have feeling for me._

"Maybe..."

 _That doesn't make sense. Why would I want that ?_

The string on her heart was right there in her figurative paw, daring her to pull it. She yanked once and for all, tearing up the fabric and opening something she had unconsciously sealed away.

"Because, I have feelings for him too."

She had frozen midway, as she was sliding a letter in a mailbox.

"I have feelings for him." She repeated.

The realization was strange. In one way it felt freeing, but she now felt trapped. She had feelings for him, and she knew he felt things for her too. She couldn't escape it. She almost wanted to take it back, to run from it.

She stepped into a strange blurry world where the letter almost delivered themselves while she struggled against her contradictory feelings. They couldn't be together.

They couldn't. Only bad stuff would come out of it. Chances were he would hurt her, and her him. She didn't want to hurt him.

The last letter had been delivered and she was driving aimlessly.

At eleven in the morning, on a saturday, Gideon's bakery was empty, like the town streets. Bunny-burrows was beyond calm during the week end.  
In autopilot, she got down from the bike and ended with her paw on the door handle. The fox wasn't behind the counter. She pushed the door and the little bell over it rang.

"Make yo' choice. I'll be 'dere soon." Came a voice from the back store.

"I can't tell him that." She muttered. "It can end only badly. I can't do that to him." She muttered under her breath.

 _Go then. I can just leave. He hasn't seen me. He won't even know it was me._

"I can't go."

 _Why ?_

"Because I can't. I need to... I need."

"Sorry for the wait. What can I do ya fo-" The fox had frozen, the moment he had seen her. A mammal on each side of the counter, they were to face. Well, he was staring at her, but she was staring at her shoes. "Hello Jess." He greeted has warmly as he could. She could hear the tinge of sadness in his voice however.

 _I can do it. We can do it._

"I- I should..." She made a step back. "I shouldn't have come. Sorry."

He had made a step toward her but was still behind the counter.

"I sh- should go." She turned around and walked toward the door.

 _I don't want to leave. Stay. Please tell him. Please !_

"I can't."

Her paw reached for the handle.

"Wait ! Please, wait !" He asked, almost desperately. She heard him skirt around the counter.

 _Don't come near me. I don't want you to see me cry. Not today._

"Ya don't have to go." He said, a couple of steps behind her. "I missed ya."

 _I missed you too._

"I'm sorry for what I asked. I'm sorry I told ya to stay away. I know you're upset with me."

 _You're not the one I'm upset with._

"I know you can't have feeling for me."

 _You're so wrong._

"I mean... I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed."

 _You're so nice._

"I ain't no handsome fox or anytin'"

 _I love your cute smile. I love how you walk. I love how you talk. I love how shy you are around everyone but always friendly all the same._

"And I get that it's unfair to push ya away because you don't return my feelings."

 _And it was unfair of me to push you away because I returned them._

"But that don't mean we can't be friends, can it ?"

She began pushing the door.

 _Please stop me. You have to stop me. I need you to stop me._

She felt his paw on her shoulder.

"Please Jess, you don't have to go."

"I'm afraid."

"You're my friend. I ain't never gonna hurt you."

"I know. I'm afraid- I." He was so close and she almost could feel his breath on her neck. "The feelings..."

"Ya don't need to do anyt'in' about them. I'll deal wit' them myself."

 _The ones I have for you._

She pulled back the door and turned the little sign that now had its "closed" side in the outside. She turned around and hugged him close.

"Whoa 'dere Jess." He half-whispered, a bit taken aback.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm okay."

"I was being stupid."

She glanced up and he saw she was crying. He caught one of her tears with a claw.

"Hey, hey. Don't be like 'dat. I shouldn't have layed 'dat on you like I did." He put himself on one knee to be at eye level. "Ah' promise I'll-"

"I didn't run because of your feelings. Those aren't the ones I'm afraid about. I-" She bit her lips.

 _Do it. Say it. I want to. I promise it's going to be okay. I'm strong enough._

"I'm in love with you."

She thought he was going to be taken aback. She thought he was going to make that face. The one he made when something happened that he didn't see coming. She loved that face. But instead, he did better.

 _Of course, he would taste like blueberry pie._


	21. Countdown to Happiness

_**Chapter 21 :** Countdown to Happiness_

 _June 2020_

Judy had a tear in her eyes at the end of the story and had pulled closer to Nick. She would never admit it to anyone but, she had always been a sucker for cute love-stories, and her pawflix history was proof of that.

"Well, Jessica, I'm glad you went over your... Um... "

"Bigotry problem ?" She proposed, still holding Gideon's paw.

"Yeah."

"I'm glad I did too."

"Ain't complainin' myself." Added the chubby fox.

"That's good you're finally together. Bottling up feelings... It's not good." Said Nick. "But it's not been more than six months... Why are you getting married that soon ?"

"Oh. I'm pregnant." Casually answered the bunny.

Judy's jaw fell. Nick's brows furrowed.

"Wos a nice surprise too... Didn't think bunnies and foxes could... You know..."

Nick's squinting eyes went from one face to another. It wasn't possible. He had checked and double-checked himself. On a biological point of view, there simply was no way it could happen. Something fishy was going on.

Judy took back control of her jaw. "But... I mean it's not possible... I mean, I don't want to imply anything but-"

"Yes ?" Asked Jessica with a candid smile.

Nick stared at her.

 _Ooooh, you cheeky little fuzzball._

"Huh. Well, you see Gideon, biology... Oh sweet cheese and crackers, I really don't want to explain that. Nick a little help."

"Sorry fluff, not my family, yet. You're on your own." He tried to say as seriously as he could.

Judy rubbed her eyes. "Oh crud. This is going to be such a pain."

She heard Nick snicker at her side.

"Nick ! This isn't funny ! You know what it's means if she's pregnant ! There aren't a lot of explanations."

Nick leaned toward her. "Well, from where I sit, there are two explanations. Either our little bunny here wasn't completely faithful."

A gasp, that came to him as fake, came from Jessica and Gideon.

"Or they're trying to pull our legs, and succeeding in your case."

"What ?" She glanced at the couple and saw that they were barely containing their hilarity. "Oh, by the gods ! You two are so immature !"

"Sorry Jude. I had to. For old time sake." Said Jessica between two giggles. "I hope you're not mad."

"No. You just... You always get me. It's been like that since we were little." Judy frowned.

"That's because you're too honest, fluff. Some mammals are just born mischievous. You were born straight as an arrow." He gave her a peck on the cheek. "It's one of you numerous endearing qualities. And they reason why it's so fun and easy to prank you."

She gave him an elbow nudge. "Foxes."

"Hey, I ain't that bad. Well I used to be, but..." Said Gideon.

"No Gid. You're perfect. You're my big cute foxy fox." Smiled Jessica

Nick glanced at his bunny. "All that cheese is bound to make me lactose intolerant." He quipped getting a laugh from the other mammals.

"You can be pretty cheesy yourself." Said Judy with a smile.

"That's true." He gave a look to the window and saw a few pairs of eyes and ears. He knew the house's windows were sound proof, but it made him realise that it was one of the few moments of social respite they would get in the course of the three days. It also made him realise that as soon as they had arrived, they had ended up alone with Jessica and Gideon, and that wasn't a very polite thing to do.

"Maybe we should get back with your family. You know, being polite guests, things like that ?" Asked Nick.

"Yes, of course." Agreed Judy.

They opened the door and the Hopps family flooded back into the room.

"Was everything okay ?"

"Did you fight ?"

"Is Judy upset ?

"What happened to your finger ?" Nick felt a tug on his left paw and saw one of the kid pointing at the stump.

Nick gave a glance to his partner which looked beyond embarrassed. "Will, you don't ask things like that to people." She scolded.

Her parents looked a bit uncomfortable too. They knew about what had happened, in broad strokes, but they knew it probably wasn't a matter Nick wanted to broach.

"An accident." Nick lied, poking the little bunny's nose. "Always turn off the lawnmower when cleaning the blades."

"Does it hurt ?"

"Not really. But it was my favorite finger to pick my nose."

"Ew."

The bunny was grabbed by Bonnie who gave him a little thanking nod. She preferred that lie to the truth which would have been way more hard to hear for the kid.

"Well played." He heard Judy whisper at his side.

Everyone found a place in the large living room that could have been a warehouse given its size. Everyone was mingling, and both Nick and Judy were amused to see the interest the kids had for Nick had died down more or less quickly. Nick had always thought that the country was more relaxing and silent than the city, but it was obvious he had been wrong.

Refreshment and snacks had been served, bunnies came and went. Suddenly he saw Judy shoot up. "Angela !" She greeted. Nick saw a bunny that was almost Judy's twin, aside from the fact that she was slightly smaller and chubbier. She could have been sisters. Nick huffed. They were sisters, obviously. "How are you sis ?"

"Well, tired but good." She was pushing a large stroller.

"Oh my gosh, they are so cute !" Gawked Judy, leaning down to look at the kits in the stroller. Nick came too to greet Angela.

"Careful Nick, she's a-"

Two paws shot forward and pulled Nick in a surprisingly strong hug.

"-Hugger." She completed with a little smile.

"Getting used to bunny hugs. I'm Nick. I don't remember meeting you."

"Angela, nice to meet you." She took a step back. "How was the trip ?"

"Good." He noticed the kids were giving him curious glances. He leaned down to look at them. "Hi kids, I'm Nick. I'll soon be your uncle." He turned to Angela. "They're so cute- Um, I mean..."

"That's okay, all kids are cute." She smiled. She took one and gave it to him. "Wanna hold one ?"

Nick glanced at Judy unsure but she nodded. She already had one in her arms. He took it like it was the most fragile thing ever. Judy was observing both his and the kit reaction, and was glad to see they were both smiling.

"Who's a big bunny ? You're a big bunny." He made him bounce a couple of times in his arms before giving back the child at his mother. "What's his or her name ?"

"Oh, they're Andrew, Stanley, Isa, Joan, Miley and Randall." Answered Angela pointing at each of ehr kids.

"And how old are they ?"

"Almost one year old."

The fox saw that most of the kits were now extending their paw toward him.

"Let me guess, now that I held one, I'll have to do the same with the others ?"

"Yup. It was a trap." She smiled.

"If you were ever wondering, Judy, she's really your sister." Quipped Nick taking another bunny in his arm. They were so tiny he could easily have held three at time, but he decided to give each the same treatment.

"So, who's the father ?" Asked Judy. "I didn't even know you were dating."

Angela's face grew red. "I... um. Let's just say they don't have a father."

Nick lifted a brow but didn't pry. Judy however asked the question they both asked themselves. "Do you at least know who he is ?" She was rather surprised, her sister wasn't one to sleep around.

"Yeah. I know who he is. An error in judgement." She said darkly before sighing. "They're Chad's."

Judy frowned. "As in 'Chad, my ex' ?"

"Yeah. Please don't say anything, I already got an earful from mom and dad."

"Oh. Angie." Judy hugged her sister. "I would never lecture you on how you should or should not sleep with."

"Well, I remember you saying to me I shouldn't approach him."

Judy snorted. "Ten years ago. He could have changed."

"That's what I thought, guess I was wrong."

Nick was still playfully wiggling his paw above the kits who were trying to catch it. "Who's that Chad guy ?"

"My ex. He's an ass." Answered Judy

"The kind that thinks females shouldn't have responsibilities, are weak, should obey their husband, stuff like that." Completed Angela.

"Can't imagine you'd ever date someone like that, fluff." Remarked Nick.

"I was young and impressionable, he was handsome and moderately charming." She answered before turning back to Angela. "How did you get with him ? And pregnant ?"

"Well, I still worked as a waitress and he was a regular. We talked and he seemed nice. He seemed to have changed. We dated, we did... Stuff. And my pill didn't work.

When I noticed two months later and told him, he said he wasn't ready and it would have to be him or the kids."

"He said it like that ?" Asked Judy, outraged.

"It was more subtle, but that's what he meant. So, guess who's a mom now." She pointed at herself proudly with her thumbs. "I wanted to have kids sooner or later. Sooner had to do."

"I'm glad you didn't let that get you down."

"I think they'll be better without a father. And I was already living here anyway." She was smiling, watching Nick play with the kits. "Hey Nick, can I ask you something strange ?"

"Yeah ?"

She suddenly looked a bit awkward. "Are your claws sharp ?"

Nick lifted a brow. "Not much why ?"

"I don't want my children to be scared of predators. Could you show them to my kid. I already asked Gideon, but he was really not comfortable with it."

Nick shrugged. "Why not." He took them half-out while Judy continued chatting with Angela. It seemed the kid were curious about the movement and he took the claws in and out a couple of time, making them giggle. He approached them, and it seemed they weren't scared. He gently scratched their head, careful to not harm them, but vulpine's claws were dull enough for it to not be too risky. Suddenly, one of them caught one of his claws and tugged on it.

From the corner of her eyes, Judy saw Nick quickly retract his claws and straighten a bit quickly. "I gotta go to... The bathroom." He made his way out in quick steps.

Judy followed him with her gaze. "I'm not sure he knows where the bathroom is. I'd better show him the way."

"Alright. See you later."

Judy got out of the living room and looked around. Nick had already disappeared. She took a few steps in the hallway to the left and saw the tip of a tail disappear behind a corner. She ran toward the next hallway and found her fox sitting on the floor, arms around his knees.

"You okay Nick ?"

He was short breathed and she saw he was keeping his fists closed.

"Nick ?"

He glanced up and he looked at her like he didn't really recognize her. He scrambled back a bit, with a look of fear.

"It's me, Judy."

She approached and brushed his shoulder. His expression relaxed a bit. "Judy ?" He suddenly hugged her, still sitting on the floor, burying his face in her belly.

"What's happening ?"

"Flashback." Came a muffled voice. "From the time with Vlad."

"How ?"

"One of the kids tugged on one of my claws."

She slowly leaned down and got him to her his head on her thigh.

"It was like being pulled from my own body and put back in the chair. Everything was here. The pain the smell..." He pulled closer and grabbed one of her paw, holding it tightly. "I'm a bit of a mess, aren't I ?"

"No you're not." Tried to reassure the bunny.

"I feel like it's always piling up. Each time I think it's actually going to be okay, there is something pulling me back down."

"You're going to be okay."

"It's not me I'm concerned about. It's us ! The Nighthowler case, Lycus case, Vlad... we can't get out of that unscathed every time."

"For the record, we didn't get out of unscathed of any of them."

"I'm afraid. I'm afraid to be weak. I'm afraid that the next time the hammer falls, I will break."

Judy flicked one of his ears. "You're not weak. You don't realise how much you went through and got out of. You're one of the strongest mammal I know."

Nick gave a sad snort. "I don't see how I'm strong. A tug on the claw and transform into a jelly puddle."

She stroked the fur of his cheek. "Don't you remember what the doctor said ? PTSD was a possible outcome. And don't you dare say you're not strong. You are. No, listen, you really are. You remember when you listed the amount of things I had to deal with when my leg was still healing ? Back when you were still undercover ?"

"I have a vague memory of it." He weakly smiled.

"Let me make your list, like you did mine, okay ? You've been bullied, and it was big enough of a trauma that you left your home at twelve to spend twenty years living on the street. The you developed and rid yourself of an heroin addiction, if I remember clearly. Your parents separated, your father died, and you blamed yourself for it. At the beginning Lycus' case, I got hurt and you blamed yourself for it. You took upon yourself to help the misguided foxes you had infiltrated instead of taking them down. You saved the young fox, Mike, from others and from himself, and took the blame when he died. You got hurt and lost your memory fighting Bellwether. You stayed with and supported me during the remainder of my recovery. You got kidnapped and tortured, both physically and mentally for having performed a good action, and even lost a finger in the process." She kissed him on the forehead. "And I'm not even going into details. Remind me again how a weak mammal could have gotten through all this and gotten out of it like you did ?"

"Leaving alone not biting one of my own bullets to make it stop." He grimly joked.

"Don't joke about that. Don't you ever joke about that." She kissed him on the snout.

"Sorry."

"So, yeah, you're troubled. You're not completely okay. But given your circumstances, I think you're still doing good. And I'm here. I'm never letting you go. It's what we're about, we're supporting each other."

"You're okay with me needing that much support ?"

Judy seemed reflective for few seconds. "I was going to say you did it for me before, but I'm not going to support you to return the favor. You weren't making me a favor, and I'm not making you one either. I'm here for you because I love you, and for no other reason."

"I love you too, Carrots."

She kept stroking his fur.

"Can we stay like this a bit ?" He asked.

"It was your plan all along, you sly fox."

The fox had a weak smile. "You see right through me, clever bunny."

...

It was the last day before the wedding. There were still a lot of things to do to prepare it and despite the bunny's parents protestations, Judy and Nick had decided to lend a paw.

Judy was helping set up the tents in the field where the weddings would take place. Nick was helping to set up the stage. He had gotten a bit more familiar with the way the weddings were going to go. There would first be a summary of the wedding orders, and of their timing, each of them after the other, with small recesses in between. Then the bands would come to play songs and most mammals would be able to dance. The tents would serve to house tables with foods and beverages. Teams would relay themselves to both serve and be able to participate in the celebration. There were also private tents, reserved to the couples and their closest friends and relative, where they could prepare before the ceremony and then retire afterwards if they needed.

Nick didn't think the organization would be so tight and precise. He had joked that Bonnie was running a tight ship, but as it happened, Stu was the one mostly in charge here.

The fox was impressed to see the bunnies work together. They were well organized and stronger than he gave them credit for. Working in the field was a physical job, so it could explain a lot. But thanks to his physical training, he was still stronger than most of them, had more stamina and was able to carry heavier loads.

The day flew by quickly enough, and at the end of it, preparations were complete. Nick was finishing to screw a spotlight in place and let himself fall from a couple of meter high, easily landing with a roll.

"You know, you could have gotten down with the ladder." Remarked Judy who had come to see if they were finished.

"Yeah, but it would have been way less impressive." He smiled, giving a shoulder roll.

They went back together toward the house when they heard splashing sounds and laughs. Going around, they saw most of the males bunnies shirtless and showering with a hose. Nick smelled himself. "I could use a shower too."

"We could take one together." Said Judy.

"We could yeah, but I kind of want to get rid of the sweat before rubbing myself against you." He whispered in her ears, making her blush. He casually approached the group taking off his t-shirt. "Hey guys, could you spread a bit of that love over therblarghlarghglglg-" Before he could finish his sentence, he was received with a stream of water in the face, while Terry, Jessica's father, which was holding the hose, gave a laugh.

"At your service Nick." He joked.

"Very funny." He joined the line of males and turned around while Terry sprayed them. Most of them were giving glances to Nick. They had seen foxes before, but none like him. For starters, though lean, he was very muscular because of his work, which gave him an impressive frame for his species, and there was quite the collection of scars on his body as well.

Judy had approached and was looking at the females bunnies that were there. "Screw it." Came a voice. "I've worked my ass off outside and I'm sweaty too." And she saw Angela get rid of her shirt, bra showing, to get hosed. Terry and some males gasped, turning away, while some of them ogled instead. Judy knew of bunnies, and as she had expected, it resulted in a crowd movement where all female that had helped set the field up were now shirtless and got sprayed as well.  
Nick glanced at her and saw that she was hesitating. He made a few steps toward her. "Don't want to get wet ?"

"I'm not really comfortable with... You know, this." She said, pointing at all the half naked bunnies. They had now set up a second hose.

"Not joining ?"

Judy stared at her feet.

"Guess you need a push."

"What kind of... Nick, No ! Don't you-" He picked her up on her shoulder, his wet fur already soaking her shirt. "Nick, let me go ! Nick, I swear-" She saw Terry's gleeful expression while he approached with the hose. "Terry ! No ! I'll knot your ears ! Don't-"

"Worth it !" He laughed as he drenched the two mammals in water.

Nick finally put the soaked bunny down and she got rid of her shirt. "You're paying for that, Nick."

"I know. But admit it, it's kind of nice."

She looked around to see the other bunnies running around. Some had taken out buckets and it was total chaos. Nick had put his paw on his hips, enjoying the sun's warmth. "I don't want to seem alarmist, but I think your sisters are ogling me."

"You wish." She said, but checked anyway. He was right, there were a few blushing bunnies that were clearly having an eyeful of her fox.

She put a possessive paw in his arm and gave them a playful glare.

"So the rumors were true." Came a smug and loud voice from outside of the bunny group. All bunnies turned toward it.

"Chad." Groaned Judy, recognizing him.

"Seems you all have fallen pretty low to accept not one but two foxes in this family." The group had fallen dead silent.

Nick observed the bunny. It was true that for a bunny he could be considered handsome. He was fairly tall, had a large jaw, and his musculature showed. He had a bit of a gut, but that was more a quality than a flaw by bunny standards.

"I'd rather have those two foxes in my family than even one bunny like you in it." Retorted Judy, crossing her arms.

Nick glanced at her. She had never seen her mate so openly hostile toward anyone before, apart from some suspects. Then again, there was personal history involved.  
The muscular bunny snorted while taking a few steps forward. "And who else than Jude the Dude to bring back a fox. You were always the weird one."

Nick would usually have slammed the bunny's trap shut with a well aimed remark, but he wasn't on his turf, and he guessed it wasn't for him to take him down. He still couldn't keep himself to say something. "I'd have used the word 'unusual', it doesn't have the negative undertone. It's one of her numerous endearing qualities."  
He gave him a glance full of disdain, before going back to Judy. "So he's eating off your paw ? I'm not surprised. You should have found somebunny that could properly handle you, it would have done you good."

Judy was facing one of her hardest challenge yet, not make that bunny eat dirt.

"Chad !" Came an angry female voice from behind them which they recognized being Angela's. "I told you to never come near me again !"

He had a discreet backing reaction that only a few saw. "Don't flatter yourself Angie, I'm not here for you, I'm here to see the disaster. You made the wrong choice, and I don't have anything to say to you anymore."

Terry approached from the side with an angry scowl. "Kid, if you don't want trouble, you should go."

Chad was easily a full head taller than him. "By you ?" He snorted, crossing his arms "Stay out of it chu-"

"By me." Came a third angry female voice. Bonnie quickly approached the scene. Her face was composed, but Judy saw the stiffness in her step, evidence that she was furious.

"Hah, and you think you have anything to say ? You should know your pla-" He had poked her chest tauntingly and Judy had been about to react but the smacking sound they all heard as an answer was impressive. And just like that, Nick was reminded that female farmers worked as hard as male ones.  
Chad stumbled backward with the violence of the slap. He seemed a bit shaken, that slap was one of the numerous ones he deserved and hadn't received until now.

"You- You-"

She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down, half-strangling him. "Now, you listen to me, you cute-face, good-for-nothing muck brain. You ever come close to my home, one of my children or my family again, I'll tie you by the ears to my truck and tow you back to your farm myself. Am I being clear ?"

"Ghark." could he only answer since she was holding the collar too tight. She untightened her grip by an inch.

"Am. I. Being. CLEAR ?"

"Yes ma'am." He said, trying to get out of her grip. She let go and he almost stumbled down. He took a few steps backwards and seemed like he was about to say something, but he didn't dare under Bonnie's glare, and went away with the little dignity he had left.

Most bunnies were gawking at her, she straightened her shirt, and turned toward them. "Now kids, you clean up this mess."

"Yes ma'am" Came a few mutters.

She turned to her brother and patted his shoulders. "Proud of you for not having put his face in the ground."

"Thanks Bon." Said Terry.

She stepped toward Judy and Angela and hugged them. "Are you okay you both ?"

"Yes mom." They answered.

"I know you could have handled him, but I've wanted to do it for a long time."

"I don't think we will hear of him in a long time."

She then turned to Nick. "I'm glad you didn't react violently. Not that I think fox's would more than others, but given he insulted you and Judy..."

"Got it, Bon." Nick smiled.

She observed him from head to toes before turning her face toward Judy and nodding approvingly with a wink. "Lucky bunny."

Judy's face instantly shot red. "Moooom !"

Bonnie went away with a giggle and arrived near her husband, they saw him say something to her, and as an answer, she pulled him by the collar and kissed him, before pulling him inside.

Not long after they had cleaned up the water mess, a few vehicles pulled over in front of the farm. There was a big limousine, a van and something that looked a lot like a police cruiser. Except it didn't have either the paint job or the revolving lights.

A large polar bear they didn't know got out of the limo. A shrill voice came out of his paw "Judy ! We're here." Most bunnies had taken a step back when the large predator had appeared, but Judy came and greeted their wedding guests.

"Fru-Fru ! How was the trip ?"

"It was nice !"

Judy waved at her family to approach, while Vivienne, Finnick and Hollie got out of the van.

Behind them, the chief, Clawhauser, Blackfur, Wolford and Buster came out from their cruiser.

"You guys came all together ?" Asked Judy, surprised.

"No, we just kind of saw eachother on the road and came as a convoy." Explained Vivienne.

"I hadn't seen Mr Big in a long time. We spent noon together, wos kinda a nice to catch up." Added Finnick.

Judy's family was a bit overwhelmed, to see so much different mammals at the same time. Which was strange given they usually were the ones producing that effect on guests. They quickly warmed to the newcomers and began to chat.

Judy was observing everyone's reaction. Most bunnies were impressed at the polar bears sizes. They had never seen one up close before and were surprised to see the shrews they were holding were in fact the actual guests. Clawhauser was biting his fist, trying not to let out of a squeal in front of the numerous cute bouncing bunnies. Bogo at his side was mostly silent, politely returning the greetings when they were addressed to him. Buster, as a small mammal, had quickly found his footing. Wolford and Blackfur were staying together a bit on the side, mingling with a few bunnies at a time.

"Sorry to cut you all in your greetings." Came Terry's voice. "But it's time to prepare dinner."

"Oh." Came Fru-Fru's voice. "Then we'll go get our hotel and leave you to it."

"Nonsense. You're staying for dinner. You just arrived, we must get to know each other more." He said. "And you must meet Judy's parents before the wedding. They're unfortunately... currently busy, but you will be able to chat during dinner."

"We really don't want to impose." Said Mr Big politely.

"You're really not. We'll set up the table in the backyard. I simply hope everyone's okay with vegetables, because we don't have much in term of meat." He apologetically smiled.

...

Lying in bed against his bunny, Nick could see she was reflecting on something. She had spent the dinner lost in thoughts and hadn't left that state since.

"What's on your mind Carrots ?"

She pushed herself against him. "Nothing."

"That's usually my line." He smiled, kissing her between the ears. "Can't I know what it is ?"

"I don't want to stress you out the night before our wedding."

"I'm already stressed out. You might as well add one scoop over it."

"Well..." She hesitated. "The thing with Angela, and her kits... I know you're not really comfortable with the idea, but I'd kind of want to be pregnant."

Nick fell mute. He didn't have anything to answer to that.

"I know we kind of had that conversation before." She continued. "And that you don't really like the idea of me being pregnant from some bunny. I know it has to do with the bond... I did research on that, most foxes are really uncomfortable with the idea of their female being pregnant from another male... And it's not an ultimatum or anything..." She was trailing off, unsure of what Nick's blank expression meant.

"Judy. It's your body, if you want to get pregnant, you can, I'll support you either way... Just as long as you don't do it by, erm, 'conventional' ways." He said, a bit embarrassed.

Judy put her forehead against his chest and sighed. "I know you don't want to 'rob' me from experiences, but I don't want to put you through a difficult experience only for my sake. It's our couple, those would be your kids too. I don't want for you to feel like I… cheated on you. Like I said, I know it's a big deal for foxes."

"Aren't you afraid could put a dampener on your career ? I'm not saying that to get you out of the idea but... You know..."

"I considered it, yes. But I want to do it."

"Then okay. Let's do that. Why not."

She stared at him and despite his smile, she saw a glint of something undecipherable in his expression. "What is it ?" She asked.

"Okay, now it's getting creepy, I can't hide anything from you anymore."

"As if I ever could. Now the fields are even." Smiled Judy. "But seriously, what is it ?"

"There is another reason why I'm not really comfortable with you getting inseminated. Gosh I hate that word. It's not just because of the whole 'possessive bond' thing. I'm afraid I won't... Love them like they were my kids."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Imagine it. You get pregnant, you have kits, and I'm just there, standing like a fool, not feeling a thing for them. I'd be there for you and them, don't get me wrong, but it would be... I don't know... Horrible." He pulled her closer. "To be honest, I'd love for you to be pregnant. I'd love to be here to fulfill the weird pregnant cravings, wipe the puke, help you choose pregnant outfits..." She gave him an elbow nudge. "I'd love to get the full father experience. But I'm afraid. I guess all mammals go through that."

Judy crawled up and kissed his nose. "Yeah, I think it's perfectly normal. I'm afraid too, you know. There are actually mothers that can't love their children. They see them and feel nothing either...It's usually temporary or can be fixed with therapy, but still. I actually saw it happen."

"Really ?"

"It's common. It happens to one female in five."

"Holy crap. How is it not known ? I never heard of that."

"Taboo topic. It happened to my mom, on her second litter. It was pretty hard on her."

"I can imagine that, I've seen how invested she's in her family. Did she get over it ?"

"Mostly. We understood what it was quickly enough, she went to see a therapist. But I think she still blames herself for it."

Nick pulled his bunny closer. "I know it's strange, but it kind of makes me feel better."

Judy sighed and buried her face in his chest. "I'm glad we talked about it. Are you sure you're okay with it ?"

"I think I am. Can we just leave the topic open in case I change my mind ?" He asked half-jokingly.

She knew he'd be more comfortable if he had a way out. She wasn't seeking a promise anyway and knew him well enough to know that he was already set on doing it. And she didn't want him to feel forced. "Sure." She pulled back from the hug. "Then there is something else we need to talk about."

"I feel like it's going to be heavy." Remarked Nick.

"Yeah." She took a deep breath. "Okay, there is something, and that's really, really important.."

"If you're trying to worry me, you're actually succeeding fluff."

"Sorry. But it really is important."

"Go ahead, I'm listening."

"If... No when. I think it's more a matter of when we get children."

Nick chuckled. "I'm on board with that."

"When we get children, they'll have to go first." She said, very seriously.

Nick frowned. "Yeah, of course. It's not even a debate."

"No you don't get it. We must consider the possibility we won't make it as a couple. And even in that case, we'll have to keep working together for them to have a good life."

Nick fell mute. He hadn't considered that.

"I'm not saying we're temporary, or that I want us to be. But, you know it is. Mammals, they change. Couples, they break up. And I don't want for us to break up, or to even think about it. But we have to seriously consider it could happen. When we have kid, we won't have the luxury to be selfish anymo-"

Nick huffed. "Whoa. Wait, stop. I got to take that in." He breathed slowly. "Alright. Yeah. Kids. Going first. Got it. Keep going."

"Us, alone as a couple, we're together because we want to. We don't have a reason to. I'm with you because I love you, and you're with me because you love me."  
He kissed her. "Yes. I do love you."

She smiled before going back to her serious expression. "But the kids, they won't be about us. We'll have to cast ourselves aside for them if we need to. You understand ?"

"You've been thinking about that a lot, have you ?"

"Yeah, a bit since I know I'll want children, and more seriously since the first time I broached the topic of kids with you."

Nick sighed. "I must admit, I hadn't put as much thoughts into it. Having kids, it was always an abstract concept before... Well before now, to be honest. I don't like the idea of us breaking up. It even hurts to think about it, but I think you're right. I just can't give you some kind of definitive answer on that. I'll do my best if it comes to it. And I really, really hope it won't."

She kissed him. "I didn't need a promise. I just wanted to know where you stood with it. You know, in the burrows, with the number of families there are, even the number of families that live in our estate... I've seen some ugly stuff going on. Families falling apart. Kids being pushed away. If not for my mom, there would be a lot more miserable kids and parents. She gave me a similar speech when I was a teen and started dating."

"That's... Well I don't know. I guess that's a lesson you don't want to learn by yourself."

"Yeah."

He sighed. "You're fine if we just cuddle tonight ? I need to think about all of this."

"I hope I didn't scare you away."

She felt him wrap his tail around her and pull the sheet to cover them both. "You really don't have to worry about that. You know me. Always the anxious fox. Sleep tight Fluff."

"Good night Nick."


	22. Lift-off

_**Xilantus :** I appreciate your review and opinion. It's part of a big debate, that's for sure. _  
_If a woman wants to get pregnant but can never have it because of her current partner's feelings, there's going to be tension. If the partners reluctantly caves in, there is going to be tension. It's a situation where if the two partners disagree, there is little room for either compromise or positive outcome._

 _I'm not an advocate of 'love conquer all', but I'm pretty sure (in my version of Zootopia at least) that Judy wouldn't impose a pregnancy to Nick. If he hadn't been okay with it, she would have tried to convince him. And if she couldn't be convinced, they just would have adopted._

 _But the thing is, Nick does want her to be pregnant, as he said, he wants something as close as the full father experience as he can. Sure, the fact that Judy will need to be inseminated isn't completely okay with him, but he's pragmatic enough to know that it's nothing more than a medical procedure, and that's why he can get past it._  
 _Of course, if he hadn't been okay with it, the story would have been different, but this isn't the story I want to tell._

 _As for finding a surrogate mother for his biological child... Well, in my opinion it doesn't mean much to him, both on the 'fairness' standpoint and the biological standpoint. We could argue the 'fairness' stand point, but it doesn't apply since it's not about fairness but about feelings and emotions. Fairness and emotions don't mix, and I don't think 'fair' has anything to do with the situation._

 _As for the biological part, well, you can be sure he'll consider Judy's children his own. And if he can consider himself the father of children he had no part in making, I don't think he sees the need of having his own biological children._

 _Of course, this is my opinion only, both on the matter and of the characters in my version of Zootopia._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 22 :** Lift-off_

 _June of 2020_

Nick was stressing out, but less than he would have thought. He was kind of glad to be the first one to be married. He was putting on the 'traditional outfit', which was pretty much a green sleeveless jumpsuit with a shirt and a bowtie. Despite the cheap price, the thing was of nice quality, and quite sturdy. Judy had said to him he could come in a more usual attire, but he had insisted to wear the same thing as the others. Her parents wanted a bunny wedding, and he wanted it to be the full experience. And he would have felt a bit out of place being the only groom to wear a suit.

"Ya okay in 'dere ?" came Finnick's voice through the door.

"Yeah, I'm coming out." He said, pulling the curtain. "What do I look like ?"

"Ah think yo the only fox tha' can pull that look off."

Finnick was wearing a shirt with a tie and his usual cargo pants. Buster, Wolford and Clawhauser were wearing their shirts with jeans. Stu had instructed them that bunny wedding usually happened outside, and that they weren't very big on classy, and that it was actually better to use clothes they were comfortable dirtying. According to him, he had never gone to a wedding where at least one of the wedded couple didn't ruin their clothes.

"Looking good, guys."

"You do too." They answered.

"How long before the start of the ceremony ?"

"It's 10:50AM, so ten minutes. Got yo vows written down ?"

"Nope. I'm gonna wing it." He said, stretching his arms, as to prepare himself for action.

* * *

"Fru, I really don't need help putting on a dress." Said Judy with a smile, while pulling the straps above her shoulders. She looked at herself in the mirror. She had feared Fru-Fru would go overboard with the dress, even if she had been here to pick the design and get measured, but she hadn't. In fact, the attire was pretty simple. It looked like a white summer dress, long enough to cover her knee scars, completed with a white shawl. That last piece of cloths wasn't mandatory, but it came with the dress. And it was good to have something handy to keep warm, just in case.

The only fancy thing on the dress was a silvery squarish pattern coming from the bottom to the waist. "You still haven't told me how much you paid the dress."  
"And I'm not telling you now either." she smiled. "Here's your jewellery." She said, opening a box. It was a simple silver pendant. Judy was glad that at least the shrew hadn't gone overboard with the style, even if she knew most of what she was wearing was far from cheap.

"Tell me that this isn't real silver thread." She said pointing at her dress while the shrew closed the pendant on her neck.

"Then I won't tell anything." She answered cheerily.

"Oh, Fru, for Carrot's sake." She went in front of the mirror again. "Do I look good ?"

"You look perfect."

They pulled the curtain and went out. "Oh Judy, you look lovely !" Said her mother, putting her paws on her mouth.

"Yes, you really do." Agreed Blackfur. Judy would have loved to also have Vivienne as matron of honor, but she was sitting on her future husband side, as tradition asked. Vivienne hadn't complained though, and she was actually glad. She knew Hollie wouldn't have been comfortable on stage with them at the center of the attention, or sitting alone in the assistance.

"How long until the ceremony ?"

"Ten minutes. It's almost 11AM. Are your vows ready ?" Asked her mother.

"Oh mom, I'll improvise." She smiled, hopping a few times like she was preparing herself for some sort of sport competition.

* * *

The music started playing, it was Nick's pick. Judy didn't know a lot about music, and even if Nick wasn't a complete melomaniac, he had a few songs he really liked that he believed for the occasion.

She recognized Drive You Home, by Garbage, one of the few bands he possessed an album from. The music was slow-paced and she synced her steps to it. Bouquet in paw, she walked along the aisle, or more precisely, the field, between the ranks of bunnies sitting down on the blankets that had been lain on the ground.  
A few chatters erupted, some bunnies didn't now the fox on the stage was about to marry a bunny. Some voices were louder than others, but she really couldn't make anything out.

She looked at him, and the fear she had that he would look ridiculous in the bunny wedding attire instantly flew away.

Nick saw his bunny appear, and barely contained his jaw from dropping. The dress she had worn on their date a few months back was nice, but this was something else. The simple white dress, near absence of make up, it was her. It was his bunny.

He had a chuckle when he saw the tears in the corners of her eyes, as he was now in the same state. An arm on her father's, followed by Blackfur and Fru-Fru on a bear's paw, she approached and climbed the stage's stairs, ending up in front of Nick.

She nodded to Finnick, Buster and Wolford on Nick's side.

"You look gorgeous." He whispered.

"You're not so bad yourself." She answered in the same tone.

The older officiant switched on the microphone he was holding and had a light scoff, bringing the attendance to a state of silence.

"Bunnies and mammals of the tri-burrows and elsewhere, we have been invited today to share with Judith Laverne Hopps and Nicholas Piberius Wilde a very important moment in their lives. In the time they have been together, their love, care and understanding of each other has grown, changed and matured, and they now have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife."

"More than the formal recognition of partners in their union and relationship, marriage is a vow. A vow to love, support, care and carry each other's burden. A vow to share not only the joy and happiness of the partner, but also the pain and hardships."

The officiant took a step back and made a little motion to signal that it was now time for them to say their piece, giving them the microphone. Nick nodded and Judy took it, making a little step forward.

She took a deep breath and started speaking. "The first time I saw Nick, my first reflex was to be suspicious toward him. The first time we had contact, he conned me and put me down. I was pretty horrible to him afterwards." She smiled, pulling a few laughs from the assistance. "And then, he did what so few mammals are strong enough to do. He supported me when no one would, helped me get through my first real challenge in life, and even when I said..." She had to take her breath. "When I acted like the most bigoted and stupid bunny ever, he still forgave me. I think it's at that moment that I fell in love with him. He didn't even know it back then, but he's the most caring, supporting and nice mammal I know. Even if he probably hates that I'm saying that in front of such a large crowd." She saw him chuckle. "Nick, I love you. You've been the best thing that ever happened to me, you've helped me open my eyes on my own shortcomings and to become a better mammal. And that's why I want to be your wife. For as long as you will have me."

She gave a glance around to see her father with his face buried in a tissue, and most bunnies in the assistance doing the same.

Nick took a slight step forward as she gave him the microphone. "The first time I saw Judy, my first reflex was to be wary of her. I'm a fox, and she was wearing a cop uniform after all." A few chuckles came from the assistance. "The first time we had contact, I conned her and put her down. And then she coerced me into helping her resolve a very dangerous case that almost cost us both our lives." There were a few gasps in the assistance, but most bunnies knew of the Nighthowler case. "And I saw, that despite all the things stacked against her, that she'd never quit doing the right thing. And later, when she acted a tad bigoted..." He let the moment pass to listen to the few chuckles in the crowd. "I wasn't hurt because of what was said. I was hurt because it came out of the bunny I already had fallen for. And when she apologized, she didn't even know it, but she proved to me that mammals could change, and better themselves. That's the thing with Judy, she always thrives to be a better bunny, and bring the world up with her. She's wonderful, she's perfect, and she's now blushing that I praised her so much in front of a crowd." He glanced at her, and saw that he was right, but she maintained her tear-filled gaze. "Judy, I love you. You've been the best thing that ever happened to me, you've helped me change and improve myself, and even more than that, you've made me want to become a better mammal. And for that, I'll never be grateful enough. And that's why I want to be your husband. For as long as you will have me."

He looked at the crowd, and seamed his speech had been the last blow for the now bawling audience.  
Finnick gave the ring to Nick and Fru-Fru gave hers to Judy.

Nick held the microphone for her.

"I, Judith Laverne Hopps, give you, Nicholas Piberius Wilde, this ring, as a symbol of my love and commitment to you." She said, putting the ring on Nick's finger.  
She then took the microphone, holding it for him.

"I, Nicholas Piberius Wilde, give you, Judith Laverne Hopps this ring, as a symbol of my love and commitment to you." He said, putting the ring on Judy's finger.  
The officiant recovered the microphone.

"Then, by the power vested in me in the Tri-Burrows and Zootopia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss ea chother."  
Nick took her paws and pulled her toward him, himself making a little step forward, and kissed her once, a short kiss, almost shy. She pulled him by the collar and let herself go backward, he caught her by the waist, his lips brought only at an inch of hers. "You totally improvised that speech." She tauntingly whispered.

"You're one to talk." He answered in the same tone, before kissing her deeply, drawing the cheering of the crowd.

"I present you the newly married couple, Judith Laverne Hopps and Nichols Piberius Wilde." That got a few raised eyebrows from the crowd, the tradition in the Tri-Burrows being that the wife should take her husband's name, but they had decided they both wanted to keep their names. Judy approached the edge of the stage and threw the bouquet. It was caught by a female bunny she didn't know, that immediately jumped to the neck of a male bunny near her, that suddenly felt in a tight spot.

"We'll now take a short recess in wait of the next couple."

...

"You sure had perfectly planned those vows. Tha's wos impressive guys." Said Gideon congratulating them both.

"Yes. I don't know if anyone will be able to top that today." Added Jessica. "It's good it's not a competition."

Nick and Judy glanced at each other awkwardly.

"Wot ?"

"They improvised." Explained Bonnie.

Some jaws fell.

"I'm gettin' used to you stealin' my ideas." Quipped Finnick.

"I'd prefer calling it 'improving'." Taunted Nick.

She felt a nudge in his ribs. "Not a competition." Scolded Judy.

"Alright, alright." He said, defensively lifting his paws. "But I'm still totally winning." He whispered.

After having received the congratulations from everyone, they went back to the ceremony.

The two next marriage were not between bunnies Judy knew, and she got bored, skipping the second one. They could, since at each recess, the guest switched seats to have the close friends and relatives on the front row.

When it was finally Jessica and Gideon's turn, she went back and sat in front with her family. Nick pulled her to seat her in his lap with a satisfied smile. She used him as a chair, his snout sitting between her ears, his paws around hers.

Gideon was wearing green overall with his shirt and bowtie. He looked a bit uncomfortable, but it was more due to the attention than the clothes. Behind him were Travis, a bunny she didn't know and his father. The music started, a song she didn't know, and she looked at Jessica, making her way up the aisle, he paw on Terry's arm. She was followed by her mother and Angela. The dress she was wearing was slightly shorter than Judy's and she didn't wear a shawl, nor jewellery. She had opted for a really simple look, and it truly suited her. The smile that appeared on Gideon's face was so large it could have broken his face.

"Bunnies and mammals of the tri-burrows and elsewhere, we have been invited today to share with Jessica Springer and Gideon Abercius Grey a very important moment in their lives. In the time they have been together, their love, care and understanding of each other has grown, changed and matured, and they now have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife."

"He's recycling." Whispered Nick in Judy's ears.

"That's good for the planet." Joked Judy as low.

"More than the formal recognition of partners in their union and relationship, marriage is a vow. A vow to love, support, care and carry each other's burden. It a vow to share not only the joy and happiness of the partner, but also the pain and hardships."

He gave them the microphone and Gideon had a little frightened head shake. Jessica took her future husband's paw to reassure him and grabbed the mic.

"Me and Gideon met in highschool. I barely knew him back then, and like most other bunnies, I was avoiding him. But he changed, he became one of the nicest, reliable and hardworking mammal in Bunny-burrows. It took me a while to realise and accept my feelings for him. But I'm glad I did. And I'm glad I found someone who can support me, and endure my... less endearing qualities." This drew a few chuckles from the mammals who knew of her hyperactivity, and over-energetic personality. "Gideon, I love you. I'm glad to be with you, and you would make me the happiest bunny in the world if you would accept me as your wife."

She gave the microphone to Gideon who approached it from his lips and took a few breath.

"I-" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "When I wos young, I wos not very nice. 'specially not to bunnies. It took me a while to change and see that all mammals were worth da same. And I'm glad I did so, 'cause otherwise, I'd never have met and fell in love wid' someone as wonderful as Jessica." He felt a bit short breathed. Jessica was still holding his paw and gave it a little squeeze. He took a few seconds to regain his composure. "I know I ain't that bright, or attentive, but as long as ya let me, I'll try to make you happy. 'Cause I love you. And that'd make me the happiest fox in the world If ya'd accept me as your husband." He had forgotten his speech halfway through, but was happy that he could have saved it.

Angela gave the ring to Jessica and Travis gave his to Gideon.

Imitating Judy and Nick, he held the microphone for his bride.

"I, Jessica Springer, give you, Gideon Abercius Grey, this ring, as a symbol of my love and commitment to you." She said, putting the ring on Gideon's finger.  
She then took the microphone, holding it for him.

"I, Gideon Abercius Grey Wilde, give you, Jessica Leapers this ring, as a symbol of my love and commitment to you." He said, putting the ring on Jessica's finger.  
The officiant took back the microphone.

"Then, by the power vested in me int the Tri-Burrows and Zootopia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss eachother."

Jessica immediately leaped to Gideon's neck, wrapping her arms around it. He had not choice than to grab her, and ended up carrying her since she wouldn't let him go.

"I present you the newly married couple, Jessica and Gideon Abercius Grey."

He carried her down the stairs after she threw the bouquet in the crowd.

"I wish I had thought about carrying you down the stairs." Said Nick.

"We can do that after the last marriage if you want." Said the bunny in his lap.

"I do."

"We'll now take a short recess in wait of the last couple." Said the officiant.

...

It wasn't a reception as much as it was a massive party. There was a main band playing on the stage, but there were also a lot of other bands around. Bunnies were going around, mingling, joking and it was overall chaos. Nick and Judy as well as their friends and families had gathered and were enjoying the sun.

"So that's what a bunny wedding looks like." Remarked Vivienne.

"Yup." Answered Judy, lying on a sheet, her head on Nick's stomach. "According to dad, there is a bit more than two thousand guests. It's actually a new record."

"It kind of make it look like a festival. Do you always plan it at noon ?"

"Usually, yeah, so that those who have to work the next day or live far have an easy way coming and leaving. The party will continue until late. I wouldn't be surprised if at least a quarter of the guest stay until 4AM tomorrow. And there is still a couple days of afterparty afterward."

Suddenly the music coming from the stage was a bit louder. The bunny got up. "Nick. You're taking me dancing."

The band on stage was playing a slow balad. Nick followed her bunny and saw that most guest were also going in the same direction. "I must warn you fluff. I have numerous skills, but dancing isn't one of them."

"I know. You mostly wave your arms around. Just follow my steps."

She took his arm and put it on her hip, taking the other and putting it on her shoulder.

"You know how to dance ?" He asked.

"Most mammals in the Tri-Burrows learn a bit a some point. But it's a bit hazy. Just sway around, don't step on my feet, and avoid bumping into other couples. You should be okay."

Nick struggled a bit to find the rhythm. He was glad, looking around, to see there were other mammals he knew.

Finnick was dancing with Vivienne, or more appropriately, the vixen was swaying while carrying the little vulpine who was looking a bit embarrassed. Jessica was resting her head against Gideon's shoulder while they moved around. Nick and Judy smiled when they saw Wolford and Blackfur glance at each other, shrug and started dancing together.

"I'm telling you, there is something going on."

"No way in hell, Nick." She smiled, resting her head on his shoulder.

Taken by the slow music, Nick and Judy found themselves in a state of complete bliss. They always knew they were right for each other, but in that moment, it reached a complete clarity. That was the one. The one they saw in movies, the one they read about in books, the one everymammal dreamed about. Whatever the future held, they'd always have each other.

Nick put a finger under Judy's chin. "Judy ?"

"Yes Nick ?"

"Thank you, my clever bunny, for everything."

She smiled to him. "Thank you, my sly fox, for everything."

He reached down and she put herself on the tip of her toes. Their lips met, with love and passion. It was a kiss they wished they could hold forever.

 _The End_

 _Of Part 3_

 _First chapter of the epilogue comes out tomorrow._


End file.
